Void's Odyssey
by spudbud16
Summary: Getting bullied for something he was born with was bad enough, but a secret brought into the light could ruin his life. Cover image made by Zephir-Zophar on DeviantArt and I was given permission to use it.
1. Chapter 1

chapter 1

"Arceus dammit, I hate my life." I sighed, as I walked back home from school. I had just wanted to talk to some of the neighborhood kids, maybe make some friends, something I can never do without being called a freak.

You see, I was born with a completely unheard of eye defect, which makes my eyes a crimson red color, and because of this, I have been called pretty much every name in the book. If that's not bad enough, the bullying had progressed from verbal to physical. Every day after school, I would have to sneak my way back home.

I had made it about halfway home, and was just passing by my mom's friend's house when a voice behind me made me flinch. It was the voice of the main bully from school.

"Hey freak, where you going!" I continued to walk, trying to get away from Greg. I had made it maybe eight steps before he called out his Bulbasaur and commanded it to use wrap on me. It hesitated for a few seconds before Greg kicked it and told it to use wrap.

As I was brought down, I could see the look of sadness in the Bulbasaur's eyes. I didn't blame him, he was just trying not to get hurt. Greg slowly walked up to me before punching me in the stomach, laughing.

"You look at me when I talk to you, bitch!" Greg said, as he punched me in the face. "With eyes like that, your mother must have fucked a Lucario!"

That was the last straw, I was not going to stand around and let this asshole disrespect my mom like that. With the little strength I had left, I turned my head towards his, and spit in his face, blood in my mouth from when he punched me. I instantly regretted it when he wrapped his hands around my neck and started to strangle me.

"HOW DARE YOU SPIT IN MY FACE BITCH!" Right as everything started to go black, I heard a slam, and a familiar female voice before everything went dark.

 **Two hours later**

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a cozy little room, in a small bed. I started to sit up when someone gently pushed me back down.

"Please stay down, you are still quite injured." I instantly recognized Gardenia's voice and started to relax, laying my head back down against the pillow, looking out the window. "W-what happened?" I asked, trying to remember what happened, and how I got here. All I know is that I am really sore.

"I found you on the ground outside, and Greg was choking you, I scared him off, and carried you here." Gardenia said with a frown on her face. With a scowl, I remember what he said to me.

 _'With eyes like that, your mother must have fucked a Lucario'_

My eyes started to tear up, and I clenched my fists. Gardenia noticed this and gently hugged me. Then with a sigh she handed me her pokégear. "You need to call your mom and let her know where you are so she can pick you up." Said Gardenia, already dialing my mom and handing it to me.

I took a deep breath, and waited for my mother to answer. About five seconds later my mom's face showed up on the screen.

"Hey Gar- VOID?!"

"Hey mom, do you think you can pick me up?"

"WHAT HAPPENED!"

"Greg"

"Let me talk to Gardenia!"

As I handed the pokégear to her, she walked into the hallway. I could make out a few words, like finding me outside getting strangled, and how I should be told before I find out myself.

As if she knew I was listening, she looked at me, and then said goodbye to my mom. She gave me a long look, and then just shook her head. "Your mom will be here in a couple minutes." Gardenia said and smiled.

Five minutes later, my mom knocked, and opened the door. She ran over to me and hugged me when she saw all the bruises and scars on my face. After we said goodbye to Gardenia and thanked her, we set out for home. The walk was pretty quiet, neither of us knowing what to say. When we got home, I silently walked to my room.

As soon as my head hit my growlith pillow, I started to sob, not being able to hold back my tears any longer. "What's wrong Void?" I quickly turned, only to see Rose, my mom's Sylvion. Not only was I born with unnatural red eyes, I was also born with the ability to understand pokemon.

Growing up, I was always able to confide in Rose with any of my problems, and she wouldn't judge me. This time, I wasn't sure. "D-don't worry about it." I quietly mumbled into my pillow. Three seconds later, Rose was cuddling up to my side, her face peaking out from under my blanket, making me laugh.

"Come on, you can tell me anything, please tell me what's wrong." She started to beg, giving me the lilipup eyes. I sighed and hugged her tightly, starting to tear up again. "I-It's just something that Greg said today." I sobbed softly.

"What did that dick do this time!" She growled, nosing me, and trying to calm me down. I just started to cry even harder. "He s-said that with eyes like mine, mom must have fucked a Lucario!" tears were freely running down my face now, with no stop in sight. I looked at Rose, noticing the shock in her eyes. She licked up my tears, murmuring softly to calm me down.

"Don't you listen to him, Void." She said softly, as she licked my face. I was starting to calm down. Then I looked at Rose's face. She would not look me in the eyes, and it looked like she was hiding something from me.

"W-what are you keeping from me, IS IT TRUE?!" When she didn't answer, I decided that was enough of an answer for me. I opened up my window, jumped out, and ran into the woods, getting as far as I could from my house.

A minute later my mom walked into my room. "Void, I think you should know about..." she stopped as she saw the open window and her crying Sylvion, she started crying as she knew it was too late.

 _I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Some of you may be wondering what happened to my story 'Spirit', you see, I have been getting major writers block when it comes to that story. This does not mean that I have given up on it, I have just decided to take a break from it and focus on this one._

 _I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it all the same. I wish you a good_

 _day/night/whenever you read this_. _OH, I should mention, the title is only temporary, if anyone can think of a good title, feel free to PM me your idea._

~spudbud16


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I ran for what felt like an hour, my lungs and legs felt like they were on fire. I ran till I could not run any longer, collapsing on my knees as I could hold back my tears no longer. I sobbed and sobbed, feeling like my life was ruined. When I was finally able to calm down, I sat for what felt like hours, thinking to myself.

I jumped when I started to hear a sniffling and rustling noise to my right. I slowly and cautiously followed the noise, picking up a small log in case I needed to protect myself. As I got closer, the noise stopped for a few seconds, then a small female voice called from up ahead, sounding pained.

"H-hello, please help me!"

I dropped the log and walked faster. I came to a small clearing in the bushes. At first, I didn't see anything, then a small rustling in a bush to my left drew my attention to it. What I saw in the bush made my heart drop, inside the bush was a little Riolu, bleeding badly from its leg.

"Are you ok?!" I asked as I lifted her out of the bush, taking off my scarf and wrapping it around her leg firmly, attempting to stop the bleeding. She looked very weak, and appeared to have two puncture wounds on her ankle.

"I was picking berries for my sick leader when I was attacked by a Seviper. I don't feel so good." She said quietly. I felt her forehead, only to find she was running a high fever. I held her in my arms as I quickly searched for some Pecha and Oran berries. When I found some, I sat down with her in my lap and fed her the berries. A couple seconds later, she was asleep, snoring softly, making me smile.

When it started to get dark, I built a small fire, and set the Riolu near it, to keep her warm. I looked around the little campsite, looking for more Pecha and Oran berries for the Riolu to give to her leader. When I turned back towards the Riolu, I noticed her sitting up, watching me.

"Do you have a name, Riolu?" I asked as I placed the berries down and sat down near her. She looked at me for a minute, and then gave me a smile. "A-Abby, my name is Abby." She then looked at the pile of berries next to me. "What are those for?"

"I thought that I would collect some berries for you to bring back to your leader" I said, giving her a smile. Abby looked at the berries, then at me, and blushed. She then limped over to me and gave me a hug, starting to cry. "Thank you!" I gently hugged back. "No problem, Abby. Now let's get some rest, you were poisoned by the Seviper, and need your rest." I said as I put out the fire and laid down, Abby lying on the other side of the fading embers of the fire.

I woke up the next morning, only to find that Abby had cuddled up to me with her little arms wrapped around my arm, gently snoring. I blushed, and softly petted her head. A few seconds later, she yawned and slowly opened her eyes, jumping away when she noticed how close she was to me. "SORRY!" she yelped looking at me embarrassed.

"D-don't worry about it" I stuttered, but still smiled. "We should try to get you back to your leader before they start to worry." I said, earning a nod and a small smile. We collected the berries, I set Abby on my shoulder, and we set off.

Following Abby's directions, we made it to what looked like a small village, made entirely out of tree stumps. As Abby lead me to the leader's den, I noticed that I was being watched by a lot of hostile looking Lucario, who seemed to calm down a little as they saw Abby. This however, did not stop the questions.

 _"Who is he?"_

 _"Why is he here?"_

 _"Why is his aura so familiar?"_

That last question confused me. How could my aura be familiar if I've never been here in my life. As I was thinking about this, I didn't hear Abby until she tapped on the back of my head.

"I'm going to go in first and talk to him, you wait outside, I'll be right back." She said, as I set her down, and she limped into the small cave with the berries. I decided to talk to the Lucarios from before.

"Excuse me, but can I talk to you guys?" I asked as I walked up to them. They were watching me intently, mainly looking at my eyes.

"What the distortion world is wrong with your eyes, I may not know much about humans, but I know they don't have red eyes!" said the biggest Lucario.

"KENICHI! Sorry about that, Kenichi isn't the most friendly Lucario. My name is Tomoko. May I ask why Abby brought you here?" He asked, with worry in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I caused any worry, I was in the woods when I found Abby under a bush, she was bitten by a Seviper. I wrapped up her leg and gave her Pecha and Oran berries. I also helped bring some berries for your leader." I said shaking both of their hands.

Kenichi was the next one to talk. "Sorry about the eye comment, I just wasn't expecting that. Anyways, let me be the first to welcome you to Lotus Village. Is there anything in particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, I overheard you talking about how my aura seemed familiar? Can people have the same aura?" I asked, hoping to end my confusion.

Tomoko was the one to finally answer my question. "Well, as you probably already know, every living thing has aura. Aura is usually unique to one person, but there have been cases where family members share the same aura. What confuses me is that your aura seems to match-"

A voice behind me cut Tomoko off and made me jump...

"VOID?!"

 _Well, there you have it. I enjoyed writing this chapter, as it introduced a very important character. I know some of you may yell at me for getting the concept of aura wrong, and I apologize for my lack of knowledge about it, however, in the case of this chapter, it may work. I am looking forward to the next chapter, as I finally get to answer a question that most of you may have been asking... if you haven't already figured it out already :P_

 _I hope you enjoy this chapter._

~spudbud16


	3. Chapter 3

VATTWoP Chapter 3

I slowly turned around, only to come face to face with an older looking Lucario. He was looking at me with a look of shock and sadness, probably being mirrored on my face as well. We looked in each other's eyes for a little longer before he beckoned for me to follow him to his cave.

We walked in silence, neither of us knowing what to say. The silence continued, and would have went on, if he didn't break it. "I assume you understand who I am?" He asked, the sadness clear in his voice. "Yes." I stated, not bothering to hide my anger at him, for leaving me without a father, and for leaving my mom sad, and alone.

As if knowing what I was thinking, he took a deep breath and began to speak. "I had to leave, Void, I wanted you to have a normal life, without people picking on you and making your life miserable. It was the only way, please understand.

I had enough, finally losing my temper and yelling at him. "YEAH, WELL A FAT LOAD OF GOOD THAT DID!" Abby, who was sleeping in the corner of the room, jolted awake with wide eyes, wondering what was going on. My father visibly flinched, before getting up, hurt and furious. "You think it was _EASY_ leaving you and your mom like that?! The only thing that got me out the damn door was the certainty that if I left, your mom wouldn't go to jail, and you wouldn't be put in foster care!"

At this my eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" I quietly asked. Dad took a step back, clearly not meaning to say what he said. He sighed loudly, before turning to Abby. " Abby, can you go outside please, don't worry, I'll make sure to ask him what you wanted me to ask him." Abby cheered and ran out. I gave him a curious look, to which he said he would tell me later.

Dad took a deep breath. "I loved your mother a lot, we had just made it into the hall of fame, and I decided that I would finally tell her how I truly felt about her. I asked your mother if she would marry me..." Dad walked over to a small indent in the wall. He pulled out a photograph that he had hidden away and handed it to me. As I looked at my parents wedding picture, he continued. "She said yes, and we had a small private wedding at Gardenia's house. When we got home, we decided to take it a little farther, and a week later, your mother came to me and told me she was pregnant. At this, I was scared."

"Why would you be scared?" I asked becoming sad, thinking I was unwanted. He must have noticed, for he gave me a hug and a smile. "Don't get me wrong, I was happy that we were having a kid, I was just scared of what the police would do. You see, Pokephilia is perfectly legal, although it isn't widely accepted, especially from some members of the police department. So, shortly after you were born, and I got to hold you, I said goodbye, and set off, but not before promising to return one day." As he finished, I ran over to him and hugged him, crying into his shoulder, and he rubbed my back.

"Please come back home with me, dad. Me, mom, and Rose really miss you." I sobbed softly, still hugging him. His eyes widened, and he started to shake his head, but before he could answer, someone in the cave entrance spoke up.

"Go." I looked, only to see Tomoko standing there, smiling. "We'll be fine, you go with Void, from what I've heard, he really needs a father figure."

"Ok. Let me just call a meeting first, can you gather everyone together and have them wait in the middle of the village?" My father said, with a warm smile. Tomoko just smiled and nodded, walking outside. When I went to wait outside, my dad called me back. "Void, there's something I promised Abby, she wanted me to ask you if you wouldn't mind letting her stay with you, she told me how you saved her when she was attacked by the Seviper, and I think it would be a great idea."

I smiled and nodded. "I would love to have her with me, as well as having my father back!" I said as I hugged him again. He just smiled and led me to the center of the village, and onto the boulder he was standing on.

He cleared his throat and brought everyone to attention. "It has come to my attention that I am needed at home with my son," he looked at me. "and my wife. I have decided to go and live with them. As I will no longer be your leader, my last duty of leader, is to appoint a new leader. He has always helped me with my problems, and with the choices I would never be able to make myself. With great honor and respect, I appoint Tomoko as the new leader of Lotus Village, may he have your respect as your new leader."

Without anything else needing to be said, dad stepped down from the boulder for the last time. He walked over to Abby and nodded, causing her to squeal and launching herself into my arms, causing me to laugh and tickle her behind her ears, making her close her eyes in enjoyment and smile. With a final goodbye to everyone, we set off for home.

When home was in sight, I pulled dad to the side. "Dad, wait here, I'm going to bring mom out here so we can surprise her!" Before I could take a step towards the house, he called me back with a stern look on his face. "WAIT! Are you telling me your mother didn't send you to find me?!" He asked with a growl.

"I-I kinda ran away when I found out the truth about you and mom." I mumbled quietly. His eyes widened, but he didn't say anything else before I ran towards the house, Abby tucked into the hood. When I got to the door, I quickly opened it, and called for my mom. I heard something drop upstairs, and her door slammed open. I was shocked to see not only my mom, but also Gardenia. They both gave me a hug, before mom started to yell at me.

"Where were you Void?! You had me worried sick! She yelled, more worried than mad.

"Mom, first look who I saved in the woods!" I said as Abby popped her head out from under my hood. Mom laughed, tickling Abby under the chin. "What's your name cutie pie" she asked. Before I could give mom her name, Abby squeaked her name, and mom tickled her ears. "That's a cute name." Mom said with a small look before mouthing the words "family gift".

A couple seconds later, I started dragging both mom and Gardenia out the door. My mom grabbed a flashlight before finally following me to where I told dad to wait. When my mom saw dad, she dropped her flashlight, tackled him to the ground, and full on kissed him. After about an hour of explaining where he was, and how I had found him and brought him back, we went inside and had some hot chocolate.

 _Sorry about all the chapters all at once, I have really enjoyed writing this story so far, and reading your reviews have been making me really get into the habit of writing again. I am also sorry if the story lost some of its flow towards the end. I tried to make this chapter longer then the others. I hope you continue to read, review, and enjoy the story. I am going to try to write and upload about one or two 1000 word chapters a day._

~spudbud16


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After everyone had finished their hot chocolate, I started to head to my room with Abby, but not before my mom pulled me aside. She looked worried about something. When Gardenia went home, and dad was waiting in mom's room, she started to talk.

"Listen Void, I wanted to apologize for not telling you who your father was, I should have told you before." She said, looking like she was depressed. "Don't worry about it, dad explained what happened after I was born, and speaking of which, I would have never found dad if you told me sooner." I said as I hugged her.

"Have you seen Rose? I wanted to apologize for upsetting her before." I asked, as I didn't see her when we had our hot cocoa. My mom gave me a sad look.

"Yes, she hasn't left your room since you left. She hasn't even came down to eat, when you talk to her, can you please bring up some berries and granola for her." She asked as she handed me a bowl of chopped Oran berries and crushed granola. I nodded, and waited for my mom to go into her room. As soon as I heard the door close, I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a chocolate bar and headed to my room, asking Abby to stay there while I talked to Rose.

I slowly opened my door and looked around. Rose was wrapped in a blanket near the window, and didn't turn around. I slowly and silently walked over to her. I was shocked when I could see each distinct rib. As soon as I saw that she was still breathing, I softly nudged her, waking her up. She didn't even open her eyes as she softly mumbled. "I told you, I won't get up until Void comes back, she mumbled, a small pout on her face.

I couldn't stand to see her like this, so I scooped her up in my arms, and hugged her against me, tears starting to form in my eyes. With the way she looked, I literally thought she was going to die. I would be devastated.

Rose's eyes snapped open, and she quickly turned herself around to see who was hugging her like this. Her eyes widened when she finally got a look at me. When she saw me, she struggled out of my grip, landed on the bed, and tackled me to the ground, nuzzling the side of my face, starting to cry.

"Void! Where were you, I thought I would never see you again!" Rose sobbed, as her tears soaked my shirt. "I'm sorry if I upset you this much, I went into the woods, I needed some time to think about all that happened." I said, as I gently pet her head, causing her to close her eyes and purr. After a few minutes, I looked her in the eyes. "I heard you haven't been eating, I don't care how long I was gone, you have to eat." I said sternly. "How do you think I would've felt if I came home, only to find that you starved to death?!" I asked her, causing her to hang her head.

I handed her the bowl of berries and granola, and she smiled at me. Before she could take a bite however, I broke some chocolate, and put it in the bowl, making her squeal. I knew that would cheer her up, chocolate being her favorite treat. When she finished, I started to talk. "Hey Rose, there's someone I would like you to meet." When she gave me a quizzical look, I continued. "When I was in the woods, I stumbled across a hurt Riolu. She was bitten by a Seviper, and was poisoned pretty badly. She was able to help me find dad. Although I don't think I need to ask, can you please try to make sure she feels at home?" I asked, giving her head a quick pet when she agreed.

 _Rose's POV_

I followed Void out into the living room, spotting a small female Riolu sitting on the couch, cuddled up against the pillow Void had made in school. It was a small pillow, with his favorite pokemon, a growlith embroidered on one side of it. He had been so happy when he brought it home to show his mother.

I couldn't help but feel jealous when I saw Void petting her behind the ears and feeding her the rest of the chocolate. I was surprised when I was suddenly brought into a hug by the little Riolu, but smiled when I noticed only kindness in her eyes. "Hello! My name is Abby, what's yours?" Said the Riolu, in her squeaky voice. "Nice to meet you Abby, my name is Rose."

Void smiled, watching us talk to each other. "You both can continue to talk, I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight." He said as he went to his room, leaving me and Abby alone in the living room.

"I heard you were bitten by a Seviper, are you ok?" I asked, concerned. "Y-yeah, I was collecting berries when a Seviper sprang from the berry bush and attacked me. I was able to to defend myself by using force palm, but it was still able to bite my leg." she said, showing me the bite. I noticed that the wound was still open, and was starting to swell. I excused myself for a second and came back with a potion and some bandages. My trainer taught me how to use potions for if she wasn't around.

"This may hurt a little." I said, as I sprayed her leg. I then wrapped her leg with the bandages. When I finished wrapping her leg, we both headed for bed, hopping onto Void's bed. I helped tuck Abby under the covers, making sure she was warm, before curling up next to her. "Goodnight Abby, I hope you like living with us." I mumbled, before closing my eyes, heading off to sleep.

 _And I'm done. I hope you liked this chapter, as writers block made this chapter a bitch to write xD_

Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter, as it means a lot to know that my story is being enjoyed.

~spudbud16


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **The poll to decide the name of this story is on my my profile. Please make sure to vote, as it will really help.**

 _Rose's POV_

I was awoken from my sleep suddenly. I had thought I heard whimpering, but when I sat up, there was no sound, other than the ticks of the clock and soft snoring. I looked to the clock only to find that it was 2:38 in the morning. As I laid back down and started to close my eyes, my ears perked up as I heard the noise again. This time, I looked at Abby, who had tears running down her closed eyes. She kept on mumbling the words "please don't leave" and "please help me" under her breath. She must have been having a nightmare.

I quickly shook her, trying to wake her up. A few seconds later her eyes snapped open, and she quickly sat up, seeming to calm down when she noticed where she was. I quietly wrapped her in in an embrace, and she started to cry again. "I noticed that you were having a nightmare, do you want to talk about it? I asked, gently squeezing her shoulders, and wiping away her tears.

When she agreed, I took her into the living room so we wouldn't wake Void. When we got to the living room, I saw Void's dad sitting on the couch, watching the news, and my eyes widened. I had heard that Void and Abby had found him, but I wasn't aware that he had came back. I quickly tackled him into a hug, making him jump slightly at the sudden embrace, but he hugged back nonetheless. "Hey Rose, how are you doing?" he asked, a smile on his face. "I'm sorry to bother you, but Abby had a nightmare, can you help me make some hot cocoa?" I asked, still hugging him.

I told Abby that I would be back, and I went into the kitchen to help with the cocoa. When we finished, Lucario gave me one last hug, then went into my trainer's room. I took the hot chocolates into the living room, and noticed that Abby was still crying slightly. I set the hot chocolates down and walked over to her, giving her a hug, holding her against me. I didn't let go until she stopped crying, and when she did, I handed her the hot chocolate.

"Please tell me about the nightmare, I'm sure that you will feel better if you share what's bothering you." I said, with a warm smile. At first, Abby did nothing but sit there, sipping on her hot cocoa, but after a few seconds, she took a deep breath, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"It felt so real, it was like I was reliving the attack all over again. I managed to escape, and I ran for what felt like an hour before starting to feel the effects of the bite. I hid in a bush to avoid being attacked again. I was in that bush for two days before Void found me. I thought he was going to help me, but he looked at me, then just walked away!" Abby said, as she started to sob.

I once again brought her into a small hug. "You know Void would never do that, he has a good heart, and would never leave anybody to suffer." I said as I gently stroked her head with one of my ribbons.

"I know, he's so caring and nice, and sweet..." Abby trailed off, looking at me, blushing , not meaning to say any of what she just said. My eyes widened, and before I could say anything, she quickly ran out of the room, fresh tears in her eyes. I couldn't move, I was frozen with shock at what I had just heard.

 _How long has she liked him?_

When I was finally able to get myself to move, I started looking for Abby. I checked all the rooms, not being able to find her. However, as I passed a window, I noticed that it was open, and I saw Abby, sitting on the ground with her head in her hands. I went into Void's room and found a large quilt, taking it with me as I stepped outside and wrapped it around both me and her. "Why did you run? I asked as I used one of my ribbons to dry her face, which was being soaked with her tears. She looked at me with pain in her eyes. "I know that you like him as well, and I thought you would hate me." Abby said with a sob. My eyes widened, and I started to stammer. "W-what are you t-talking about, I don't like him like that." Abby just glared at me, shaking her head. "You're not as good at hiding your feelings as you think you are. Speaking of which, I have been meaning to apologize for making you so jealous last night. She said, looking me in the eyes.

I sighed and looked down at the ground. "It doesn't matter anymore, I missed my opportunity when Void ran away." I said, a single tear rolling down my cheek. "Maybe you could have better luck than I did."

Abby looked into my eyes with sorrow, and hugged me tightly. I smiled slightly and hugged back, feeling her rub my back. We sat outside for an hour, just watching the stars and listening to the sounds of the woods. "How should I tell him I love him?" Abby asked, looking at me for advice. "Just wait till you feel the time is right, and then tell him." I said, smiling softly. "Now, are you ready to go back inside?" I asked. When she said yes, we went back into the living room and laid on the couch. I wrapped us both in the quilt, laying next to her, making sure she knew she was not alone, in case she had another nightmare. I laid there, enjoying the warmth for a few seconds. "Goodnight Abby" I said, giving her one last hug. "Goodnight" She mumbled, already almost asleep.


	6. Q&A

_Hello, it has come to my attention that I didn't explain somethings. This is my attempt to answer some questions. I apologize for any confusion._

 **Why do Rose and Abby love Void?**

Rose fell in love with Void because of his personality. He was always there for her, the same way she was always there for him. Her crush on him built when he put his trust in her no matter how embarrassing his problems may have been. Abby fell for him when he saved her. She sensed his sadness and confusion, yet he still put aside his own problems, and helped some random pokemon that he didn't even know.

 **Why do the cops hate Pokephilia if it's legal?**

Pokephilia may be legal, but it is viewed as highly taboo. The cops think it is morally wrong for pokemon and humans to be a couple, as they think the pokemon is being forced, and the trainers and pokemon are too afraid of being taken away from each other that they won't stand up against the cops.

 **How long did Void run away for?**

While Void was on his little "soul searching" trip, he was gone for about two days, enough to cause Rose to become depressed, and almost starve herself to death. When he did return, it was about ten O'clock at night.

 **Why was Void forgiven so quickly?**

His mom was more worried then she was mad.

 **Where did his father go?**

Void's father left to protect his family, as was explained in the story. However, what I should have explained was where he went. After leaving, he headed for the woods, finding a clearing hidden deep in the woods, where he set up his home, later making it into a village when Tomoko and some other Lucarios stumbled upon the clearing. While expanding the clearing, he found an egg hidden in the shrubs. So in a way, Lucario is Abby's adoptive father.

 **OMG! Does that mean there's incestuous love in this story? EWWW!**

Although Abby and Void are not really blood related, I guess there is. If you don't like that, sorry, but no one is forcing you to read this, you can leave anytime. To the people who don't care, you can stay for as long as you like, and I hope you enjoy the story.

 _I hope this helps, even if just a little. I am still pretty new to writing fanfiction, so errors and mistakes are some things that you may notice. All I ask, is that you give my story a chance, and I will eventually get better at writing._


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _Void's POV_

I slowly woke up, the sun shining in my eyes. As I got up, I decided to make some breakfast. I headed down stairs and through the living room. As I passed the couch, I stopped and smiled. On the couch were Abby and Rose, snuggled up to each other with small smiles on their faces.

When I got to the kitchen, I took out two bowls and a plate. I poured myself a bowl of PikaPuffs, as well as berries and granola for Rose. After I set up mine and Rose's breakfast, I cooked some Tauros steak on the stove for Abby. I also fixed some Magost Berry pancakes for mom and dad, putting them in the fridge. I set everything on the table and went to wake Rose and Abby up. I gently shook them, and they started to wake up.

"I fixed you both breakfast, if you're hungry." I said, heading to the table. When they both sat down, I handed Rose her granola and berries, and Abby the steak. While they happily chowed down on their breakfast, I turned to Abby, who seemed to really enjoy the steak.

"So Abby, how have you been, have you been enjoying it here?" I asked, hoping she liked her new home. Abby smiled, blushing slightly. "I'm doing just fine, and I really like it here." She said, still blushing.

When we finished breakfast, I looked at both of them. "Do you want to go outside and go for a walk?" I asked, feeling a little bored. "Sure, but where are we going?" Asked Abby and Rose, sounding excited. I smiled at their excitement, petting both of them behind the ears, making them pur. "I thought we could walk to Hearthome City, there's something I need to get." I said, trying to be as vague as possible. I packed us a small bag full of food, drinks and Pokedollars for the trip and wrote a note to mom and dad explaining our whereabouts, as well as mentioning the pancakes I made in the fridge.

After I got everything ready, we headed out on our way to Hearthome City. I couldn't help but smile as Abby jumped in every pile of leaves she could find beside the path, laughing and having a good time. Being the first time me and Abby have ever been to a city, we stood there gawking at all the tall buildings, while Rose just smiled and rolled her eyes at our reaction. When I snapped out of my awe, I shook my head to clear it, then turned to Rose. "Can you do me a favor Rose? I asked, looking at her for a second.

"Sure Void, what do you need?" She asked, smiling up at me. "Can you take Abby to this park for me? I wanted to get her something special, but I want it to be a surprise." I said, being careful not to let Abby overhear. "I promise, when I'm done, I'll take you both out to some ice cream." I said, causing Rose's ears to perk up. Rose nodded and wrapped a ribbon around Abby's paw, leading the confused Riolu to the park I had just pointed out. I smiled, watching the scene go down.

"Excuse me, Sir, can you point out the 'Build a Ball' workshop?" I asked the nearest person, who was watching Abby and Rose. The guy was an older looking man, wearing a small brown fedora, and he had a Fennekin on his shoulder. He smiled and nodded. "Sure, he said as he pointed out a building towards the middle of my map. "You seem like a good kid, when you get there, tell them Liam sent you." He said with a smile, then walked away. I started on my way to 'Build a Ball' workshop, now knowing where to go.

Soon, I arrived at a tall building with pictures of different types of pokeballs on a large sign on the front of the building. I walked in and was instantly greeted by a woman with blonde hair down to the middle of her back, and a smile on her face. "Welcome to 'Build a Ball' workshop, your go to shop for all your custom pokeball needs, can I help you find anything?" She asked.

"Hello, I was looking to make a special pokeball for Abby, my Riolu. A guy outside named Liam said to mention his name." I said, looking around in amazement at all the different kinds of pokeballs. "Of course, follow me, I'll show you the newest pokeball model." She said, her eyes widening slightly at the mention of Liam.

As we walked, I tried to start a conversation, trying to break the silence. "So who's Liam? He seemed nice, even though I've never met him before today." I asked. She stopped suddenly, giving me a shocked look. "You mean you've never heard of Liam Cruso?!" She asked loudly in disbelief, making me feel slightly uncomfortable. However, before I could defend myself, a voice behind us made us both jump.

"Amber, I hope you haven't been disturbing our guest." Said the voice behind us. I turned around, only to see the same man from before. "Why don't you let me finish this little tour, and you get back to work." Liam said, with a stern look. Amber apologized, and went back to work.

I looked at Liam, then began to speak. "I hope you can forgive me for this, but, I really don't know who you are. I have never really left Emeragrove Town before, and I only came here to get a custom pokeball for my Riolu." I said, with a apologetic look. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything, and I wondered if I had overstayed my welcome, then he started to laugh.

"That's quite ok, to be honest, it feels nice to meet someone who doesn't know me for a change. My name is Liam Cruso, and I am the owner and founder of 'Build a Ball' workshop, and this," he pointed at his Fennekin, "is my partner, Fiona." He said with a smile, petting her head.

"My name is Void. Thank you for offering me a tour, but, may I ask why I'm getting one?" I asked, confused as to why he was being so nice to a complete stranger.

"Well Void, our scientists have created a new type of pokeball that we have called the Luxury Ball. We are in desperate need of someone who will test it out. I was hoping you would be willing to give it a try on one of your pokemon. If you should decide on accepting my request, I can supply you with free pokeballs whenever you may need them. I would also be paying you, so you would not be working for nothing. I will also let you customize pokeballs free of charge." He said, waiting for my response.

I took a deep breath. "If I test this pokeball, can you promise me that no harm will come to Abby?" I asked, suddenly becoming nervous. "You know I can't make any promises like that, but the only tests we want to run, is whether or not it's comfortable for pokemon." Liam said, a solemn look on his face.

I sighed, shaking his hand, accepting his request. Liam took me on my tour, introducing me to the scientists, and showing me how pokeballs are made. I had to say, I really liked this place. When the tour finished, Liam pulled me aside.

"I forgot to ask you, is there any specific design you want for the Luxury Ball?" He asked. I took a minute to reply, thinking. "Do you think you could paint it to look like an Aura Sphere, along with her name engraved on it in gold colored letters?" I asked, smiling. Liam nodded, then went back inside.

I started walking, heading for the park. When I got to the park, I saw Abby and Rose playing tag with each other, but when they saw me they stopped playing and ran over to me, Abby tackling me to the ground, causing me to laugh. "Ok guys, who's ready for ice cream?" I asked, a big smile on my face.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

We sat at a picnic table outside of the ice cream store, enjoying a Chocolate Oran berry swirl sundae. Rose must have noticed that something was wrong, because she pulled me aside with a look of worry. "Void, what's wrong, you've hardly eaten any ice cream." She asked.

"Sorry for causing you to worry, Rose. I just feel like I did something bad." I said, sighing loudly. Rose's features softened slightly. "What happened, you know you could tell me anything." She said, sitting next to me. I looked over to Abby, making sure she wasn't listening, and when I was sure she wasn't, I continued.

"I was offered the chance to test a new pokeball called the Luxury Ball for free, and I accepted, having one specially designed for Abby." Rose smiled, and looked like she was about to talk, but I cut her off. "I know, it sounds good, but you see, it's only a prototype, and they can't guarantee that nothing will go wrong, yet I still accepted, without even thinking about asking her opinion. I feel like I let her down, and I wouldn't blame her for hating me for it." I said, my mood getting worse.

"Void, don't be stupid, she could never hate you, you saved her and took her in when she needed it the most, you've shown her nothing but kindness, you feeling bad for your decision is proof enough. Trust me, she won't be mad at you." Rose consoled me, giving me a hug. "Thanks for that, Rose. Can you please not say anything to Abby about any of this yet?" I asked, giving her a hug.

When we sat back down, I ate some ice cream, and gave the rest to Abby and Rose. As soon as they finished, we set off, heading back home. The whole time we were walking home, I was thinking about what Rose had said about Abby. I still couldn't shake the guilt of making a decision that could put her in danger, and the feeling that she would be mad at me was still strong.

By the time we got home, it was 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and the house was silent, except for the quiet ticking of the wall clock. I went to my parents room, to see if they were awake, only to find a note on the door addressed to me. I picked it up and began to read it.

 _Dear Void,_

 _Gardenia has invited all of us to her house for Thanksgiving, when you get this, please put on the suit that I placed on your bed. Also, please have Rose and Abby wear the bows I made for them. They should be next to your suit. See you when you get here._

 _Love, Mom_

I showed the note to Rose and Abby, and we went to my room to get ready. First, I helped Rose get her bows on her ears. Her bows were made of a gold colored fabric, with what looked like a sapphire in the center of each one. Next I moved on to Abby's one, a light sky blue bow, a beautiful red ruby resting in the center. This bow went in between her ears, on the top of her head. Abby looked incredibly stunning, and for a couple seconds, I felt like I couldn't look away, making both me and Abby blush, much to the amusement of Rose, who stood there with a big grin on her face.

Snapping out of it, I started to change into my suit, noticing that Abby watched me the entire time I changed. "Is something the matter?" I asked her, getting curious. When I said that, she jumped slightly, and started to stutter, a blush still evident on her face. "N-NO! Nothing's wrong." She said, quickly looking in the opposite direction, and I just shrugged. When we finished getting dressed, we all started walking to Gardenia's house. With Abby already running ahead, it gave me the chance to ask Rose about her.

"Hey Rose? Do you know what's wrong with Abby, she's been acting really weird lately, and it's really starting to worry me." I said with a frown. Rose looked at me, giving me a deadpan look, which confused me. "I'm sorry Void, but if you can't notice what's going on, then there is nothing I can do to help you." She said, starting to speed up her walk. "I CAN tell you one thing though, there is nothing "wrong" with her, so please stop worrying."

I let Rose and Abby run ahead, giving me time to think to myself. If there was nothing wrong with Abby, then why was she acting like this. I sighed, finally deciding to catch up with them, but by the time I did, we had arrived at Gardenia's house, and I could hear laughing from inside. I took a deep breath, then knocked on the door, then waiting until Gardenia opened the door.

"Welcome!" Gardenia said, as she let me, Abby, and Rose into the house, smiling at us as she showed us where to sit. I sat down next to dad, with Abby to my left. Meanwhile, Rose sat down next to mom, and after saying our thank yous to Arceus for the wonderful feast, we started to eat. About half way through the meal, I tapped dad on the shoulder and asked if I could talk to him. When he nodded, I excused myself from the table, followed by dad. We walked to the porch and sat down, him looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to begin.

"Dad, may I tell you something? I've been noticing that Abby has been acting weird around me recently, and I'm getting worried that she found out about something I've been hiding from her, and is mad at me." I said, looking down at the ground. His ears perked, and his right brow went up.

"What exactly have you been hiding from her, Void?" He asked, with a note of suspicion in his voice. "Well you see, we went to Hearthome City earlier today, and I went to make a special pokeball for Abby at the 'Build a Ball' workshop. I was able to meet Liam Cruso, the CEO and founder. He offered me the chance to test a new prototype pokeball called the Luxury Ball. He said that he would pay me for my help, as well as give me free pokeballs and the ability to customize them for free, and I agreed." I said, still frowning.

"Why would she be mad at you for that, I don't see how that could be bad." He said, with a look of confusion on his face. "It would have been good, if we weren't the ones testing it. Liam said he couldn't guarantee that it would be completely safe, and now I'm sure Abby hates me for it." I said, wiping my eyes, as I felt a few tears start to well up. Dad gently brought me into a hug.

"Tell me, what makes you think Abby's mad at you? How has she been acting weird?" He asked, still hugging me.

"Well, she won't look me in the eyes, and she always seems to be in a hurry to leave when I'm around. In fact, on the way here, she ran ahead of me and Rose, Abby didn't even want to walk next to me." I sighed, feeling like I just wanted to go home, and get in bed.

By this time, dad was grinning and chuckling to himself. I pulled away, glaring at him. Before I could say anything however, he rubbed my head, messing up my hair. "Void, she doesn't hate you. I think you're just getting it all wrong. I know exactly what's going on, but I think she needs to explain it to you. Now come on, let's get back inside.

For the rest of the dinner, we all talked, joked, and had a good time. Then, at around 8 O'clock, we started to head back home. When we got home, I saw something on the porch that I was not looking forward to. On the top step, there was a small, neatly wrapped white box with the words "from Liam" written on the top. Dad must have saw it to, because he whispered something into mom's ear, and both of them, as well as Rose quickly went inside. Before Abby could go as well, I quickly called her.

"Hey Abby, can you come here please?" I asked, holding onto the box. "W-what is it Void, and what's that in your hands?" She asked, again not looking me in the eyes. "I got it for you when we went to Hearthome City, but it can wait, I wanted to ask you something. If you didn't know about this, then why have you been mad at me?" I asked, trying to understand.

"W-what do you mean? I'm not mad at you!" She said, sounding utterly confused. She finally looked into my eyes, only to see the sadness in them. "What do I mean? You've been avoiding me all day, if you're not mad, why else would you avoid me li-" I was cut off by soft lips being firmly pressed against mine, and my eyes widened in shock, while Abby's eyes closed. I couldn't move or kiss back, I was in too much shock. After a couple seconds of Abby's one sided kiss, she separated and stepped back with a small sniffle.

"That's why I was avoiding you, because I knew you wouldn't share my feelings." She said, before running inside. I sat there for a while, before I was finally able to move. I quickly ran inside looking for Abby, checking upstairs first.

Noticing my door was open, I looked inside my room. I was about to search another room when I heard crying from inside my closet. I gently closed my door, then slowly opened the closet door, only to find Abby huddled in the corner.

"A-Abby, can I come in?" I asked, narrowly missing a pillow, as it was thrown at my head. "G-GO AWAY!" She yelled, crying louder. I felt bad, making her feel like this. I crawled over to her, sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug. I gently rubbed her back, causing her to dig her head into my shoulder and cry more. After a while of crying, she calmed down, with only a few sniffles. After she calmed down, we sat on the bed.

"I'm sorry about before, Abby. You kissed me so suddenly that you shocked me." I said, causing her to giggle. "I'm sorry too, Void. You wanted to know why I was avoiding you, kissing you was the only way I could think of to tell you the truth." She said, bringing me into another hug.

"There WAS a problem with that kiss though." I said, starting to grin, noticing the small frown on her face. "W-what was wrong with it, I thought it was pretty good!" She asked, her eyes slowly widening as I turned her head towards me gently, whispering the next words in her ear. "You didn't give me time to enjoy it." I whispered, as I closed the distance between our lips, kissing her softly.

A couple minutes of kissing went by before the bedroom door opened and Rose walked in. "Hey Void, your parents wanted to know if you wanted any pumpkin p-" She stopped mid sentence, smiling to herself and walking out of the room. we separated from the kiss a couple seconds later, blushing and panting.

"I love you Abby." I said, causing her to blush. Before she could say anything, she was surrounded in a bright whitish blue light. I had to close my eyes to avoid being blinded. When I opened my eyes again, there was no longer a Riolu sitting in front of me, instead, there was a Lucario, who was slightly taller than me.

"Abby, is that you?" I asked, stunned at what just happened. Her only response was to lay down on the bed, bringing me down next to her kissing me and closing her eyes, followed by something I will never forget.

"I love you too." She said as we slowly fell asleep, cuddling each other.

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter. The next chapter will be out around Christmas, so in the meantime, please vote on the poll on my page. I hope you have a great thanksgiving, and I will see you in December.**_

 _ **~spudbud16**_


	9. Christmas Chapter (chapter 8)

Chapter 8

 ** _WARNING_** : will contain lemon

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked out the window. The neighborhood was covered in a fine layer of snow, making it look like an image straight from a postcard. School had been let out for the holidays, and Christmas had finally arrived. I turned around in bed and smiled. Abby was sleeping peacefully, curled up under the blanket with a small smile on her face.

I looked at the clock, noticing that it was time to get up anyways, so I carefully got out of bed, before going over to the other side of the bed, and waking Abby.

"Wake up, Abby. It's Christmas, don't you want to open up your presents?" I asked, as I gently kissed her on the lips, causing her to slowly open her eyes and smile. She stretched and sat up, kissing me back.

"So, what exactly do you do on Christmas?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, causing me to mentally facepalm myself. "How could I forget?! This is your first Christmas outside of the village, isn't it?" I asked, causing her to nod, and I took a deep breath.

"Well you see, we usually get together with family and friends, and sit around the christmas tree drinking hot chocolate and sharing gifts. It's a time when people aren't that busy, and can be with their loved ones. I think you would really enjoy it." I said, smiling.

I quickly got dressed and we went downstairs. Mom and dad were in the kitchen, making the hot cocoa and sugar cookies, and Rose was already sitting near the tree with a tiny bell attached to her bow, looking as excited as ever. When she saw us, she wished us both a merry christmas, and sat near us. I got up and went to the kitchen, as Abby and Rose talked.

My mom looked up, smiling when she saw me come in. "Merry Christmas Void! We will be opening the presents soon, so if you have any hidden away, put them under the tree, but in the meantime, can you please help bring these hot chocolates and gingerbread cookies into the living room please?" She asked, as she handed me some trays of cookies. I quickly set them down on the counter and went back for the drinks, going back to talk to mom and dad.

"I'm going to save the pokeball for later, I want to surprise her, and talk to her." I said, getting a smile from them. "Ok Void, but make sure your careful, it is a new model after all." Dad said, looking slightly nervous.

I nodded once. "I will, don't worry, I'm sure nothing will go wrong."

I ran upstairs and quickly grabbed my other gift for Abby, before going back downstairs, placing it underneath the tree, quickly finding my seat next to Abby. When I sat down, I gave my parents a thumbs up, indicating that they could begin. My mom cleared her throat, then began to start.

"I first want to begin by saying Merry Christmas. This is one of my favorite holidays, as it brings families together. Since this is Abby's first christmas with us, she gets to open the first present." She said, ushering Abby towards the tree. She smiled, picking up the present I had just laid down. When she opened it, her smile only got bigger. Inside the box was a Santa outfit I had made for her. It was a typical Santa suit, the only variation to the original design was a small hole where her chest spike was, and a bit of holly on the hat. "I made that for you before Christmas break, I hope you like it." I said, blushing slightly. Abby rushed up to my room for a few minutes, before coming back wearing the suit, giving me a kiss when she sat down next to me.

I was the next to go up and open a present, picking a medium sized box, and taking it to the couch. Looking at the tag, noticing that it was from mom and dad, I gave them a smile and started to unwrap the present. When I looked in, my jaw dropped, and the box nearly did as well. Inside the box was a pokedex, a map, six pokeballs, and a pokégear. I looked over at my parents, my mouth opening, but no words came out. Abby, confused as to why I was in shock, looked inside the box, and squealed, hugging me tightly.

"We understand that that you are sixteen, and that you probably don't want to spend everyday at home, so me and your mother have chipped in and have gotten everything you need to start your journey." Dad said, smiling when he saw my reaction. When I calmed down, I quickly ran over to them and gave them a big hug. "THANK YOU!" I yelled, happy to finally be able to go.

Everybody got a chance to open up their presents, and we started to eat the cookies and drink hot chocolate, Rose enjoying her two boxes of chocolate covered Oran berries with Abby, while mom and dad took the dishes into the kitchen. We relaxed for most of the day listening to music and talking about the things going on in our lives. I looked over to Abby and Rose, noticing them looking a little bored, and I had an idea. "Hey, do you guys want to go and play in the snow?" I asked, getting smiles and cheers from the both of them.

We began to go outside, and I quickly ran and got my sleigh. We took turns pulling each other through the snow, laughing as I fell off, and into a pile of snow. We then worked together and made one big snowman, smiling and admiring our work when we finished. As the sun went down, we finished up our fun with some skating on the lake behind our house.

We decided it was time to head inside, as the sun was setting over the horizon. I pulled Abby aside before we went inside. "Hey Abby, how was your christmas?" I asked, smiling and pulling her into a hug.

"It was great, especially when I received my new outfit." She said, blushing slightly, looking into my eyes. "Well, I have another gift for you, can you please wait in my room?" I asked, waiting till she was gone, then walking to where my parents were, watching tv on the couch.

"Mom, dad, If you need me, I'll be upstairs in my room. I'm about to give Abby the pokeball." I said, heading upstairs. When I got to my room, I walked in and went into my drawer, pulling out a small small white box, with a blue bow on the top, and walked to Abby, who was wagging her tail slightly.

"Abby, before I give this to you, I need to know if you trust me." I said, getting a hurt look from her. "Why would you ask that? Of course I trust you, I trust you with my life!" She said, looking at me with confusion. I smiled and opened the box, holding the pokeball in my hand. Abby's eyes widened when she saw it.

"I'm sorry I had to ask, it's just, I'm worried that you won't when you find out more about this. This is a Luxury Ball, a prototype recently made, but not tested, they asked me to test it, and I agreed. I'll understand if I lost your trust, and I'm sorr-" Before I could finish, Abby walked over to me and kissed me, effectively making me stop talking. "Shut up, you idiot." She said, sticking out her tongue and continued. "You could never lose my trust." She said, pressing the button on the Luxury Ball, being enveloped in a red mist before being sucked into it. A couple seconds later, there was a pop, and the ball began to spark. "OH SHIT!" I yelled, as I was enveloped and pulled into the Luxury Ball by the same red light, everything going dark. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was my mom calling me.

Void's Mom's POV

I was watching tv when I heard what sounded like a loud pop from upstairs. I looked at Jason, then started to walk to the stairs. "Void, are you ok up there?" I called, but got no answer. I was getting ready to go back to Jason, until I heard Void yelling. I quickly ran up the stairs, being followed by Rose, and made it into his room just in time to see a bright flash of red, and to see the smoking pokeball hit the ground. I quickly grabbed the ball and took off down the steps. When I made it down the steps, Jason was standing there, looking worried.

"Anna, what's wrong?!" he asked, pulling me into a hug to calm me down. "IT'S VOID! SOMETHING WENT WRONG!" At this, we were out the door, running to 'Build a Ball' workshop.

Void's POV

I slowly sat up and looked around, shaking my head to clear it of the dizziness. As I looked around I saw Abby laying in the grass, her eyes closed as she relaxed, still wearing the outfit I made her. I got to my feet, nearly falling as I was still a little dizzy. I slowly moved towards Abby, casting a shadow over her as I got close. She opened an eye, then jumped up when she saw me, her eyes wide.

"Void?! What are you doing here, I thought I was in my pokeball!" She said, her voice high in disbelief. I took a deep, shaky breath before I began to talk.

"You are. Well, we are. Something went wrong with the Luxury Ball, and I was pulled in as well. If I had to make a guess, the pokeball mistook me as a pokemon, and 'captured' me as well." I said, thinking out loud. Abby still looked confused, but I could see she was accepting what I said.

"Are you ok Void? You didn't get hurt?" She asked, a tone of worry in her voice. "Other than the slight dizziness, I feel fine!" I said, giving her a goofy grin. Abby giggled, making me smile. She then started to look worried again. "Wait, if you're inside the pokeball, how are we going to get out of here?" She asked, making me think. "Don't worry, I'm sure mom and dad are already trying to get us out." I said, giving her a smile, and patting her back.

Anna's POV

Me and Jason burst through the doors of the big building, startling a blonde haired woman sitting behind a counter. "W-welcome to 'Build a Ball' workshop, your go t-" I didn't let her finish.

"WHERE'S LIAM CRUSO?" I asked loudly, showing her the Luxury Ball. She instantly picked up the phone and started dialing a number. "M-mr Cruso, there are people down here with the Luxury Ball, I'm sending them up." She then hung up and pointed to an elevator. "Just take that elevator to the top floor, mr Cruso will be expecting you." She said, as we ran over to the elevator. When we got to the top floor, we immediately ran to a man sitting behind a large desk.

"A-are you the one who gave Void this" I stammered trying to catch my breath, holding up the pokeball. He looked at it for only a second before he answered. "Yes, Void agreed to help test it out. Why, is he ok?" Cruso asked, noticing the worried looks on mine and Jason's faces.

"Please! You have to help, Void used the pokeball , and I think he may be in there" I begged, handing him the pokeball. He gave me a look before starting to head for the elevator. "I don't understand how this could have happened. The Luxury Ball is meant to lock on to the nearest pokemon and catch them. The only way it could have caught Void would be if he was..." He looked at me and Jason with a look of contemplation. Before I could say anything, the elevator opened, and we were in some kind of lab. Cruso walked out and addressed the scientists.

"Ok everyone, we have an emergency. As you all know, A young man named Void came here and agreed to test the new Luxury Ball, through some error, he was captured in said pokeball. Our task is to get him out as soon as possible." He said, helping a scientist with trying to open the pokeball, and I finally let out a sigh of relief, as we were finally able to get help.

Void's POV

"Hey Abby? Do you want to explore the area while we can?" I asked her, wondering how big the inside of this pokeball could be. "Sure, but do you mind if I show you a really cool spot I found already?" She asked, hopping from foot to foot, as if she was excited. "Sure, lead the way." I said, smiling as her mood seemed to perk up.

As we walked, I couldn't help but think about how weird Abby's been acting lately. She's been cuddling up to me way more recently, even the way she was walking was odd. She was swaying her hips with every step, and more than once, I found my eyes wandering to her rear, having to look away multiple times when she looked back at me. After about a five minute walk, we arrived at what looked to be a waterfall. Abby smiled at me, before walking into a concealed opening behind it. I followed her, slowly walking through the crevice, walking until we arrived in a cavernous room. I slowly looked around, taking in the beautiful scenery. There were pools of crystal clear water all around the cave, and luminous red and blue mushrooms stuck on the wall. I noticed Abby already sitting near one of the pools, looking into it. I swear I smelled some kind of perfume or something as I walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at my touch, causing me to worry.

"Abby, are you ok?" I asked, worrying about her. I was scared the ball had hurt her.

"I-it hurts." She said, starting to pant. "What hurts?!" I asked loudly, getting more and more worried by the minute. She just continued to moan and pant, her eyes closed tight. "ABBY! What hurts?" I asked again.

"M-m-my heat..." She moaned loudly, causing me to blush. "H-how can I help?" I asked, slowly getting closer.

"Please, j-just go, I can't be held accountable for my actions, I could hurt you! Just let me take care of myself." She begged, tears running down her face,but I stood my ground, looking into her eyes, and shook my head.

"The day you decided you wanted to come with me, I made myself a promise. I would keep you safe and happy, no matter what, and if helping you with your heat is what makes you happy, then I'll do it." I said, blushing deeply. I could tell that whatever restraint she was holding onto, crumbled away, as she jumped into my arms, knocking me to the ground, quickly locking lips with me. A few seconds later, I felt Abby's tongue prod my lips, asking for entrance. I slowly opened my mouth, letting her have her way, closing my eyes. Soon, I joined in, letting my tongue wrap around hers. Neither of us wanted to end the kiss, however, the need to breath, eventually caused us to part, painting as we took in deep breaths.

"Wow" I said, staring into her eyes. Not being able to say anything else, I laid there, enjoying the moment. I flinched however, as I felt Abby's hand slip into my pants, grabbing my dick.

"A-Abby! W-what are you doing?!" I gasped, not being able to believe what was happening. "Shhhhh, just let it happen." She said, slowly stroking me, causing me to start to get hard. I decided to take her advice and enjoy it while it lasted.

When I was fully erect, she grinned, pulling down my pants, while I took off my shirt, laying it under my head so I would be comfortable. When I looked back at her, she was blushing slightly. "I-I didn't expect it to be this big." She said, just above a whisper. I just blushed, I never really thought of it as being big, it being only seven inches.

"W-we could stop if you want to." I said, noticing her hesitation, not wanting her to do anything she didn't want to do. Abby just looked at me for a few seconds, before uttering a single word.

"Never." She said, giving my member a lick from the base to the tip, before sticking the head into her mouth, causing me to groan. She looked up, smiling around my dick at me, before taking it deeper.

"A-Arceus damn, th-that feels good, please don't stop!" I moaned, lost in the immense pleasure. Abby gave me one last look before she closed her eyes, plunging herself down, wincing when the tip hit the back of her throat. I snapped out of it when I realized what she did. "ABBY! What did you do?!" I yelled, worried if she was ok. I tried to pull out, only for her to growl, making me wince, as the vibration caused me to almost get lost in the pleasure again. I started to pull out again, not caring if Abby didn't like it. I could see that she was hurt, and I didn't want to hurt her. I had pulled out of her throat, and was about to completely remove myself when I heard a voice in my head.

" _Please stop Void, I'm fine._ "

I looked at Abby, wide eyed. "A-Abby, was that you?" I asked, afraid I was losing my mind. " _Yes, please don't pull out._ " She said, pleading me with her eyes. "I hurt you though, and don't say I didn't, because you even winced." I said, letting my worries show. " _I've just never done that before, that's all. Please let me continue, I promise I'll be fine._ " She said, still giving me pleading eyes. I sighed, then smirked. "Only if you let me try something." I said, waiting for her answer. " _Sure, but what?_ " She asked, confused to what exactly I was planning to do.

I only grinned, picking her up and placing her on my chest. Her confusion faded, and her eyes widened as I gave her pussy a lick. I was surprised to find that she tasted sweet like Pecha berries. She moaned and continued to pleasure me, deepthroating me again, her nose resting against my lower stomach every time she went down. I began to focus on her clit, flicking it with my tongue, making her writhe in pleasure, the same way she was doing to me. Abby was moaning loudly, her pussy leaking profusely, telling me that she was close, but by the attention she was giving me, I wasn't that far behind either. I decided to kick it up a notch, digging my tongue in deeper, trying to get her to cum first.

After a couple minutes, Abby began to twitch, giving off one more loud moan before her walls began to tighten, and a torrent of her cum landed in my mouth. The vibrations from her moan sent me over the edge. "A-Abby, I-I'm about to cum!" I said, causing her to pull back, putting the tip on her tongue and closing her mouth around it, jerking me off. I grunted as I came, Abby doing her best to swallow what she could, but some trickled down the sides of her mouth. When I finished cumming, she removed my dick from her mouth. She licked up the remaining cum from the corners of her mouth, sticking out her tongue, showing me, then closed her mouth and swallowed, grinning at me the whole time. I just laid there, catching my breath and enjoying the afterglow of my first orgasm.

"T-that was awesome." I said, a big grin on my face. Abby, sitting right next to me, started chuckling, looking at me with a sultry look. "You act like we're finished." She said. I looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

"T-there's more?" I asked, still feeling sore from our last go. "Of course there's more Void, and I saved the best for last." She said, lust in her voice. Abby slowly got closer, gently pushing me till I was laying down. She slowly rubbed my dick, causing me to once again become hard. "If you thought it felt good before, wait till you feel this!" She said, positioning herself over my member, and slowly starting to press down. We both moaned as I slowly sank into her depths. A couple seconds later, my tip hit some kind of wall, and I quickly realized what it was. "A-Abby, p-please stop." I said, holding onto her hips to keep her from moving. She struggled, trying to push herself down, but I held on tight. "Stop it Abby. I know you want to continue, but please, listen to me for a second." I said, causing Abby to start to calm down. "I-if we go any farther, you'll lose your virginity. It's a precious thing, and I want you to really think about it. Am I the one you truly want to lose it to, because there's no going back if we continue." I said, looking into her eyes. She blinked a couple times, the lust draining from her eyes. "Y-yes Void, I want it to be you. You were the one who saved me and took me in when I wanted to come home with you. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you. If I'm to lose my virginity, I want you to be the one to take it." She said, nuzzling me, as I pet her head.

With her fully in control, she slowly lifted herself up until just the head was still in her, then she plunged down, causing me to break her hymen. She closed her eyes and yelped, and I quickly pressed my lips to hers and stopped moving, letting her adjust to the new feeling. We stayed like this until she nodded at me. "I-I'm ok now." She said, as she started to move again, causing me to groan in pleasure, thrusting my hips to meet her steady rhythm, making her moan as well. I sped up, getting lost in the feeling. I must have hit her G spot, because she began to moan loudly. "V-Void, r-right there, please d-don't stop!" She moaned, making me thrust harder. Abby once again began to twitch, her pussy tightening it's grip on me. She moaned and trembled as she went through her second orgasm. I was nearing my release, when she suddenly slowed to a complete stop, lifting herself up and off my dick, making me let out a small whimper as I felt my orgasm start to fade. Abby just giggled, grinning at me. "You got to try your idea earlier, it's only fair that I get to try something as well." She said, sticking her tongue out at me. Abby then turned back towards me, lining my dick up with her other hole. My eyes widened, and I started to stutter.

"A-are you s-sure you want to do this?" I asked, getting a giggle and a nod from her. "Yes, I'm sure, and don't pretend you don't want to either, don't think I didn't see you ogling at my ass earlier, your not as good at hiding things as you think you are!" She said, grinning as I closed my eyes and blushed. They immediately opened again as I felt the head being pressed against her anus, slowly sinking in, before finally being plunged deep inside, Abby letting out a gasp and a sigh, and me letting out a moan. She started slowly bouncing, her muscles tightening every time she reached the bottom. I started panting, feeling my release start to build up again. "A-Abby, I'm not going to be able to last much longer!" I moaned, trying my best to hold off a little longer, failing as I started to feel the pressure building. "I-It's ok V-Void, let it out!" She moaned, bouncing harder and faster, trying to make me cum. The pleasure became too much to handle, and I hilted myself and grunted, Abby locking lips with me as I came, shooting my load deep in her ass, some of it starting to leak out the sides, soaking our lower stomachs. She leaned into my lying form, cuddling into my chest and falling asleep, a satisfied smile on her face.

I was laying there, gently stroking her behind the ears, when there was a bright flash of light that seemed to cover everything. I closed my eyes, and waited for it to stop. I began to hear a quiet whirring noise, then a gasp, causing me to quickly open my eyes, which widened when I looked around. Me and Abby were no longer in a cave, but instead, we were in a small laboratory. I flinched when I saw that we were not alone. Around the table we were laying on, were Liam, a scientist, and my parents, who were looking at us with wide eyes. I looked down, only to realize that I was naked, and still attached to Abby, causing me to gulp.

"UHHHHHHHHHH, I-I can explain!"

 **WOW, this took me AWHILE to write :/ I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry if the lemon was bad, this was my first time writing one, so I already expect there to be people who hate it. Even if you dislike the lemon, please don't outright flame me for it. I wish you all a happy holidays, and I hope you all get what you wanted. As always, please read and review, and I will see you later.**

 _ **~spudbud16**_


	10. Chapter 9

_Void's POV_

The scientist quickly brought me a sheet, covering her eyes, stepping around my parents, who fainted shortly after they saw what was happening. I quickly covered both me and a blushing Abby, who was awoken by all the noise. When we were fully covered, I pulled out of her, wincing at the audible pop. I sheepishly looked at Liam, who was grinning to himself, causing me to look at him in confusion. He handed me my clothes before I could say anything.

"You don't have to explain anything, but let me guess, was it her heat?" He asked, giving us a knowing smile. Abby and I looked at him in shock. "Y-yes, but how did you know?" I asked, my eyes widening. Liam smiled. Before he could say any more, my parents groaned, waking up. They got up, not looking me in the eyes, and I could tell they were not very happy with me.

"Ah, I'm glad to see that you're both ok. I know you must want to talk to your son, but if you could wait in the lobby, I need to talk to Void in my office." Liam said, gaining a nod from my parents. We all stepped into the elevator, him pressing two buttons. When the doors opened, mom and dad exited, giving me one last look of disapproval before the doors closed.

"How did you know about Abby's heat?" I asked while the elevator went up to the top floor. "Do you remember Fiona?" He asked, looking at me. "Your Fennekin right? Yea, I remember her, why?" I asked, confused, noticing a look of jealousy flash across Abby's face. I scratched her behind the ears and smiled at her. "Correction, Braixen, but yes. To answer your question, Braixen and Lucarios, both being canine Pokemon, share the same season of heat, as I found out yesterday." Liam said, smiling to himself. My eyes widened at the last part. "Wait, does that mean you and Fiona are together?" I asked, shocked. He only nodded,smiling.

"Now its my turn to ask you something. You were in the pokeball, what is it like inside?" He asked, seemingly excited. I scratched the back of my head. "Well, it's definitely not like I expected. It was like we weren't in a pokeball at all. There were grassy fields, a waterfall, caves, it was like being outside." I said, thinking back.

"Looks like I'll have to raise my scientists' pay!" Liam said with a laugh. "Speaking of pay, can I get you anything, I was going to give you a PokéTranslator, but given that you're part pokemon, you can probably understand them without one." He said, causing me to flinch. The elevator doors opened, and we entered his office. "Fiona, I'm ba-" He had barely walked in when a orange blur tackled him to the ground, and quickly brought him into a kiss. I gasped, causing Fiona to release Liam and back away, her eyes wide. "Please don't take me away from Liam, it's not what it looks like!" Fiona begged as she started to tear up. "WOAH, calm down, no one is taking you away!" I said, trying to calm her down, looking at Liam.

"So you CAN understand pokemon." He said, smiling at me, then turned back to the crying fox in front of us. "SHH, Fiona, calm down, this is Void, he's like us." consoled Liam. Abby walked in and looked around, spotting Fiona. She immediately went over and tried to calm her down. While Abby and Fiona talked to each other, me and a slightly flustered Liam got back to business. "Hey, Liam, I think I already know the answer, but can I ask you a question?" I asked, obviously gaining his interest. "Sure Void, what is it?" Asked Liam. "Well, why DID the luxury ball capture me?" I asked, still curious. "Good question, a pokeball is designed to capture any pokemon it comes into contact with that hasn't already been caught. When you put Abby in the pokeball, you were still in contact with the ball. Since you are part pokemon, lucario I presume, it took in your DNA as well, mixing both yours and Abby's DNA together. The luxury ball was just doing what it was made to do, which is capturing pokemon." He said, confirming my theory. "Thank you, I figured that might have been what happened, but you definitely gave me more information." I said, before getting an idea. "While on topic, can I make two requests?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow, but nodded and smiled nonetheless. "Sure, as long as they're reasonable." He said.

"I really thought the inside of the pokeball was neat. I know how to get in, but would there be a way out?" I asked, causing Liam to grin. "I'm glad you asked. You see, when you were trapped in the ball, we got you out by tripping the Emergency Release Mechanism, and this got me thinking, why not make a device that would trip it if you got stuck again? So I made this." He said, producing a small watch and handing it to me. I smiled, putting it on my wrist. "Thank you Liam, this will really help." I said cheerfully. "No problem, now, what is your second request?" He asked, curious as to what else I could want.

"Oh, right, you mentioned a PokéTranslator, could I still get one?" I asked, hoping he would still let me have it. He looked at me in confusion. "Why would you need one, you can clearly understand pokemon without the need of a translator!" He asked, not understand my logic. "I get the feeling that it would help in my upcoming journey." I said, not really being able to think of how. "Whatever helps you, I guess. He said, reaching into his desk and handing me a small earpiece. "Now, if there's nothing else, I think your parents might want to talk to you. Liam said, causing me to groan. I knew what they were going to say. They were going to tell him how he shouldn't have did what he did in the pokeball.

I called Abby as I thanked Liam again for the help, and for the two items I requested before we left, saying goodbye to Liam and Fiona and stepping into the elevator. When the doors closed, I turned and gave Abby a hug. "W-what's wrong Void?" She asked rubbing my back. "Nothing. Mom and dad are not happy about what happened earlier. I just wanted to warn you before they confront us." I said, gaining a small whimper. We embraced for a few more seconds, then released each other before the doors opened to the lobby. When we got out of the elevator, the secretary called us over to her. "Your parents told me to tell you that they went home." She said, before going back to working. I thanked her before we started for home. "Do you think they will say we can't be together anymore?" Abby asked while whimpering, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "No, I don't, and even if they did, you mean too much to me. I would never let them do that!" I said, determined to stay with her no matter what happened.

As we got to the house, I could see that she was getting nervous, so I stopped and turned towards her, and gently pressed my lips against hers. After a few seconds, she returned the kiss full heartedly. We slowly parted, her eyes still closed. "Abby, keep in mind, no matter what happens, I will always be with you." I said, slowly petting the side of her face, causing her to let out a contended sigh. When we entered the house Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch, looking to be deep in thought, but when we got closer, Dad turned and looked at us. "Void, Abby, have a seat." He said, giving us both a stern look. When we sat down, there was a long, awkward silence filling the room. After what seemed like a century, Mom took a deep breathe, and broke the silence. "Abby, I assume your virginity is no longer intact?" Mom asked, her voice shaky with worry. Rose was just walking by when she heard what was going on. "N-no, it's not." Abby said, nervousness heavy in her voice. "Void would not take it until I was myself again though." She said quickly. Dad's ears perked up when he heard that. "What do you mean? How were you not yourself?" He asked her, only to be met by a crimson blush and silence. I could tell that Abby was getting to uncomfortable to answer, so I answered for her.

"Her heat," I said. "She was consumed by pain, and desperately wanted it to end, so she asked for help, and I agreed. I didn't go until I was sure she was aware and sure that she wanted it." I said, becoming aware of all eyes on me. "Is that true? Is that what happened?" My parents asked Abby. She nodded, still shivering do to her nerves. My father nodded, clearing his throat. "Well, in any case, we both agreed, we think you're both taking your relationship too fast. You're sixteen years old and already having sex. We think it would be best if you guys ended this relationship and take a break for awhile. He said, looking both of us in the eyes. I heard a sniffle to my left, followed by Abby running out of the room in tears. I turned back towards my parents and glared daggers at them. " To HELL with that!" I yelled. Only to get slapped by my dad. "YOU WILL NOT USE THAT LANGUAGE IN THIS HOUSEHOLD!" He yelled at me. I simply stared him down. "I don't give a fuck who you are, you will not come between me and Abby. I love her with all my heart, and I would never leave her, not even if Arceus herself came down and commanded me to!" I said before I ran after Abby, wanting to comfort her.

 _Rose's POV_

I stood there in disbelief at what I had just witnessed. Abby finally had the chance to be happy, and my trainer destroyed it. I quickly went to my trainer's room and grabbed my dusty old pokeball that was still open. I hadn't been put in my pokeball since the day we won the Elite Four Challenge, but I needed it for what I was about to do. I slowly dragged it to my trainer, who gave me a look of confusion. "Rose, why do you have your pokeball?" She asked, her voice full of sadness. I glared at her, having lost all respect for her. "How could you do that to Abby and Void? Did Abby tell you about her nightmares? She constantly has nightmares of being left for dead after the Seviper attack, often waking up scared and depressed. Void has been there for her, making sure that she knows she's safe, and you just opened up old wounds." I said, a slight growl in my voice as I positioned both halves of the pokeball on the floor. "If that's the kind of person you are, then I want no part of it. From this point on, I am no longer your pokemon!" I said, as I put pressure on the hinges, breaking the pokeball in half with a satisfying crack. My Ex-trainer fell to her knees holding what was left of my pokeball, being comforted by her husband as I walked away, heading for Void and Abby's room.

As I got closer, I could hear Void talking to Abby. "SHH, don't cry, I told you that I would be with you, no matter what. I don't care what they have to say about it. As soon as the sun starts to come up, we'll leave together." I heard him say. I knocked on the door. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT THIS T- oh, sorry Rose, I hope you're not here to try to split us up as well." He said, obviously still mad.

"No, your mom is no longer my trainer, I broke my pokeball." I said, hopping up on to the bed and sitting next to them. I heard you're heading out in about an hour, can I come with you?" I asked, looking at him with lilipup eyes. He laughed, causing me to crack a smile. "Put away your arsenal, of course you can come, you've always been there for me, who would I be if I didn't return the favor." He said, causing me to blush.

 _Void's POV_

The room started to become brighter as the sun started to rise above the trees. I looked at Rose and Abby. They had fallen into a light sleep while we waited for the sun to rise. "Abby, Rose, wake up, its time to go." I said, gently shaking them awake. They slowly sat up, yawning and stretching, before looking around. "I already packed everything we'll need to start off with, including some poké for other supplies. I said, pointing to the backpack. With everything packed away and ready to go, I picked up the bag and opened my door, being followed by Abby and Rose. I was about to open the front door when a hand firmly gripped my shoulder. I turned around and glared. My mom was standing behind me, tears stained her face.

"I know I can't change how you feel right now, but at least I can see you off on your journey and ask you to forgive me." She said with a sad smile. I glared at her for a few more seconds, then my features started to relax. "What you did was really horrible, I love Abby with all of my being, and I would never leave her. I can forgive you, but I will never forget what you did. I said, giving her a small hug. " Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now. Thanks for seeing me off. I said, as I walked out the door. I gave one more half hearted wave, then we were off.

"Void, why did you forgive her so easily?" Rose asked, with an incredulous look on her face. I looked at her for a couple seconds, then sighed. "Well, she's my mom. She might do a lot of things that I know are wrong, but in the end, she brought me into this world, without her, I wouldn't be here. I said, ruffling the fur on top of her head. " So when we start, would you all like to take the Gym Challenge?" I asked as we walked. "I'm ok with anything you want to do, Void." Abby said, giving me a quick kiss. Rose just smiled and nodded. We made it to the route that would lead to Hearthome City. "Are you ready guys? As soon as we leave this town, there is no turning back until we finish our journey. I said, and waited until they agreed. I was about to take the first step, when someone called out to me from behind. "Hey fr- I mean Void!" I didn't even need to turn around to know who called me. "What do you want this time, are you here to finish what you started last time, was almost killing me not enough?" I asked, finally turning around, preparing my self for the worst when I saw that he was angry. "No, I just got kicked out of the house, I saw you and decided to apologize." He said, seeming to be calming down slightly.

I blinked a couple times before snapping at him. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but knock it off, I'm seriously not in the mood!" I yelled at him. He took a small step back, then he spoke again. "Look, believe me or not, I don't care, shortly after the fight, I was sent to some reform school in Hoenn. I just got back before Christmas." He said, slightly aggravated at me yelling at him. I could tell by the way he said "reform school" with contempt that he wasn't lying. I remembered him saying that he was kicked out of his house. "I believe you. You said you were kicked out of your house?" I asked him. "Yes, I made the mistake of asking my mom for advice on how I should tell this girl I like her, but my mom didn't like that, so she kicked me out." He said, looking slightly confused at why he was saying all this. I was shocked when I heard this. "Why would your mom kick you out for liking a girl?" I asked, giving him a confused look. He sighed deeply, then answered. "Maybe because the girl I like is a pokemon. She said I was a disgrace."

"I feel you, my parents just tried to break me and my girlfriend up. I told them I didn't give a fuck who they were, that wouldn't happened." At the mention of "girlfriend," Abby walked up and leaned her head into my shoulder. "Look, you might have been a total prick to me in the past, but I'll still give you another chance, I'm taking the Gym Challenge, would you like to come along?" I asked, holding out my hand for a handshake. Greg skeptically shook my hand, as if shaking my hand was the hardest thing to do. "So, do you have her with you?" I asked, wondering what kind of pokemon he fell for. He smiled, before pulling out a pokeball that was painted all black, with a lightning design. "Yes, I met Hikari at the reform school when she was still a Shinx. I saw her in the schoolyard under a bush. I was able to befriend her. She recently evolved into a Luxio when we got home.

We started down the path, enjoying the sunny weather and heading to Hearthome City. "So Greg, have you been able to tell Hikari how you feel about her yet?" I asked as we walked. "No, I was thinking of waiting until I can afford a translator or something, that way, I can be able to hold a conversation with her, but with how much they cost, that won't be for awhile." He said, a sad distant look in his eyes. I thought for a second. I had a translator, but did I really want to give the person who bullied me pretty much all my life something as big as this? Then I started thinking about me and Abby, and about how it would be if I couldn't understand her. After some debating, I decided to give it to him. "Hey Greg, I may be able to help you with that." I said, looking through my bag. I finally found it, taking it out and placing it in his hand. "Why are you giving me this, don't you need this?" He asked incredulously. I just shook my head. "I can understand pokemon without one of these." I said, earning a confused look from him. "What do you mean?" He asked, still studying the small device. "Do you remember what you said about my mother?" I asked, causing him to flinch. "Yes, sorry about that." He said, gaining a chuckle from me. "Well, you weren't wrong. I am part Lucario, which explains my eyes and the ability to talk to pokemon" I said without hesitation. Greg was silent for a couple seconds, until he broke the silence. "Can I try it on?" He asked, with excitement that could rival that of a little kid. "Hold on, wait till we get to the pokécenter, that way you'll get to spend time with Hikari." I said as we arrived at Hearthome City. I looked around for a few seconds before spotting the bright red roof belonging to the pokécenter. We walked in and I looked around. The lobby wasn't that big, only having a few tables and a front counter. I walked up to the counter, noticing a woman that looked to be in her early twenties. "Hello, welcome to the pokécenter, my name is Nurse Joy, are your pokemon in need of healing?" She asked with a warm smile. "No thank you, may I register for the Gym Challenge?" I asked, smiling back. "Sure, may I see your pokédex for a few seconds please?" She asked, holding out her hand. I handed her the pokédex and waited for her to scan it. When she finished scanning it, she handed it back to me. "There you go, your now registered, is there anything else I can help you with?" She asked, as I put the pokédex back in my bag. "Yes, can I get two rooms for the night?" I asked, signing the guest register. "Sure, breakfast will be served at seven O'Clock tomorrow in the dining room down that hall." She said, handing me the keys.

I thanked Nurse Joy and handed a key to Greg. We headed upstairs and each went to our rooms for the night. Abby and I laid down in bed, while Rose lied in an armchair near the window. "Goodnight Abby, Rose, get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow. Rose only murmured, already half asleep and Abby gave me a kiss, cuddling up to me. I turned out the light, and pretty soon, I heard the sounds of soft snores, as Rose and Abby had fallen asleep. I lied there, not being able to sleep. Tomorrow was the day we challenged the Hearthome City Gym, and the day I get my first badge. A small thump from next store followed by a giggle made me smile, as I finally closed my eyes and fell asleep.

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It really wrecked havoc on my heartstrings to write the scene between Void, Abby, and his parents. On the other hand, I believe it helped bring the story further. Please don't forget to review :)**

 **Fun fact: Hikari was originally going to be a Ninetails.**

 **~spudbud16**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _Void's POV_

I was jolted out of my dreams of winning my first gym badge by a knock at the door. I clumsily stumbled out of bed, almost tripping over my bag. "Who's there?" I asked, quickly getting changed. "It's me, Nurse Joy." She said, from the other side of the door. I quickly put my shirt on and opened the door, noticing she had a worried look on her face.

"Sorry to bother you Void, I just had to make sure everyone is ok." She said, looking around the hall. Her alertness was starting to make me worried. "What happened, is everything ok?" I asked, seeing how nervous she was. Nurse Joy took one more look around the halls before she looked back at me, sighing. "I shouldn't say anything, I don't want to worry you, but someone broke into the pokécenter last night while everyone was asleep. I just wanted to make sure you were ok, but since you're ok, I'm going to go check on your friend." She said, giving me a relieved smile before starting to head for Greg's room. Remembering what I heard last night, I quickly got her attention again. "Hey Nurse Joy, why don't you go and have something to eat, don't worry, I'll go and check on Greg." I said, smiling warmly. "Oh no, as the nurse here, its my job to make sure my guests are safe." She said, shaking her head slightly. I mentally sighed as I had one last tactic left. "Come on Nurse Joy, you do so much for everyone, please let someone do something for _you._ " I said, well aware of how desperate I sounded.

Nurse Joy gave me a skeptical look, cracking a wary smile. "I don't know what you're hiding, but I am pretty famished, so I think I'll take you up on that offer. Just, please don't make me regret it later." She said, walking back downstairs. I waited until Nurse Joy was out of site, then knocked on Greg's door. "Greg, are you up?" I asked, opening the door, seeing both Greg and Hikari, heavily wrapped in the blankets and looking at me sheepishly. As I walked in, I noticed the strong odor. Walking into the room, I grinned at them. "Well, looks like things went pretty well, I guess I was right to keep Nurse Joy away." I said, smiling at the couple.

"Did you now?" A voice behind me making me freeze. I slowly turned around, only to see Nurse Joy, giving me a smug grin. I audibly gulped, looking back and forth between Greg and the nurse. Before I could say anything else, she started to speak. "You really need to work on your excuses. That whole thing about me needing a break was just a downright bad lie. I knew you were up to something, so I decided to follow you. I never would have guessed that this was why you wanted me to stay away from this room so bad!" She said, blushing ever so slightly. "I guess you'll be calling the police on all of us now." I said, sighing loudly, the thought of going to jail and losing both Abby and Rose took a heavy toll on my heart. "At least allow me to say goodbye to Abby and Rose..." I mumbled, leaving before anything else was said.

I trudged back to my temporary room in silence, my heart feeling like it was sinking in an endless pool of the sorrow I was feeling. When I made it into the room, I spotted Abby laying in bed, still fast asleep, albeit, with a frown on her face, as if my mood was affecting her dreams. I quietly walked over to her and gently shook her awake. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. "Good morning Void." She said happily. I slowly started to lean forward, causing her to close her eyes and pucker her lips, expecting me to kiss her. Her eyes snapped open when instead of kissing her, my face was buried in her shoulder and I started to cry.

"Void! W-what's wrong?" Abby asked with a whimper, gently rubbing my back and holding me in her lap. By this time, my sobbing had caused Rose to awaken, and she stretched before noticing the situation. "I'm so sorry Abby, Rose, I was being careless this morning and I got us caught. This may be goodbye." I said softly, tears still streaming down my face. "N-NO!" Abby said, stepping back, her eyes widening. "I'm sorry..." I said, as this was the only thing I could say. Rose jumped onto the bed, snuggling me. "D-dont worry Void, we won't let them take you away." She soothed, draping a ribbon over my shoulder. I gently placed my hand over the ribbon and held it in my hand, looking into her eyes and noticing something I hadn't seen from her before. Rose gave Abby a look, to which she just gave a slow nod, sadness still showing on her face. After receiving the nod, Rose slowly leaned forward, pressing her soft lips against mine, causing my eyes to become wide.

I was going to ask why she had just kissed me, but before I could, there was a knock on the door before it opened.

Nurse Joy walked into the room and was about to speak, until Abby interrupted her, forming a bone shaped staff in her paws. "Stay away from Void! Can't you see I love him with all of my heart, why would you take him away?!" She yelled, tears starting to blur her vision. "If you want to take him away, you'll have to go through me!" She said, protecting me. Nurse Joy just shook her head. "Void, you left without giving me a chance to talk. I'm not calling the cops! What you and Greg have with your pokemon is sweet. I can see that what's going on is consensual, so I see nothing wrong with these relationships." She said, smiling at me. "W-wait, does that mean Abby and Rose won't be taken away from me?" I asked, as Abby stopped her attack. Nurse Joy nodded. "Of course they won't be taken away!" She said, chuckling as Abby tackled me to the ground and brought me into a kiss. Rose, not to be left out, wrapped her ribbons around me in a gentle embrace. When Abby and Rose let go of me, I turned towards Nurse Joy. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're ok with this, but why are you so accepting of our relationship?" I asked, getting a sharp look from Abby, as if asking would change the nurse's mind.

Nurse Joy just smiled. "Like I said before, you guys look like you love each other very much, what kind of person would I be if I got in the way of true love!" She said, a distant look in her eyes and a small blush. "Plus, you're not the only ones with a secret relationship with your pokemon." She said quietly. I raised my eyebrow, cracking a small smile. "Really? So you're dating your pokemon as well?" I asked, not expecting this. "Yes, if you follow me, I can show you." She said, turning and walking into the hallway. While we walked, I started to think back to how Nurse Joy seemed to understand Abby back in the room. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy, you seemed to understand Abby pretty well, may I ask how?" I asked, looking between her and Abby. "All Nurse Joys are required to wear these PokéTranslators." She said, pointing to her earrings. "That way, we can find out if a Pokemon's injuries are from battling or abuse. However, even without them, I could tell she was trying to protect you. And please, just call me Joy, there's no need for any formality." She said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"While we're asking questions, may I ask why your eyes are like that? Also, how are you able to understand pokemon? I don't see any PokéTranslator. You don't have to answer if it's to personal." She said quickly, noticing I looked uneasy. "No no, it's fine. My parents aren't exactly the average couple. Let's just say... I have more in common with Abby than I do with anyone else." I said, gaining a look of shock from Joy. "So you're part Lucario? I didn't think that was even possible!" She said as we arrived at the lobby. My eyes widened when I looked around. The windows had been shattered and the chairs and tables had been thrown across the room. "Damn! You weren't kidding, it looks like a herd of tauros went through here!" I said, whistling. "Yeah, I might have to call Jenny later." She said, sighing loudly. "Who's Jenny? I asked, as we walked to her office. "Jenny is one of the officers here in Hearthome city, and she's one of the only members of the police who is fine with pokephillia, she's the one who helped me with my relationship. Speaking of which, here we are. Naomi's a little shy around new people, so please keep your voice down." She said getting ready to open the door.

"Wait, your dating another girl?" I said, immediately regretting saying it. Abby smacked me in the back of the head and chastised me. "Void! That was incredibly rude!" She said, causing me to hang my head and sweatdrop. I looked at Joy and sighed. "I'm sorry about how rude that was, I just never imagined that you were-" I started to say but was interrupted. "Into girls?" She finished for me. I didn't trust myself not to say anything stupid, so I just nodded. To my shock, she started to chuckle. "That's ok, but please be more tactful in the future, especially around Naomi." Joy said, as she opened the door for us. "Naomi, we have some visitors who would like to meet you." She said, turning on the light and looking around. For the first few minutes, there was no sign of any pokemon, no movement anywhere, but a few seconds later, a small light pink and tan face peaked around the side of a couch, looking curiously at me, Abby, and Rose.

I slowly walked over to her, crouching down, and looked her in the eyes. "Hello Naomi, I'm Void, and these two are Abby and Rose. When Joy heard about me and Abby's relationship, she told us about you and her." I said giving her a smile. She gave me a smile back. "You and her are together?" She asked, her eyes sparkling. I nodded, looking at her. "Yes, we've been together for almost three months now." I said, before asking her a question. "Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I noticed that you're in your mega form, did something happen?" I asked, before noticing the sad look in her eyes. "You know what, never mind, I didn't mean to make you sad." I said, starting to feel her sadness like it was contagious. "No, it's f-fine, my old trainer was a terrible man. He wanted to win battles so bad, he had scientists melt Audinite stones and inject them into my bloodstream, now I'm stuck like this forever, I'm a freak! She yelled, digging her face into my shoulder and crying. I carefully pulled her into a hug. "Listen to me, you are not a freak. It's true you might be different, but isn't that what makes you unique? I'm sure Joy will agree with me." Joy walked over to her and pulled her into a kiss. "Don't you ever let me hear you call yourself a freak! Neither have you ever been a freak, but you will NEVER be a freak! Do you understand me?" She yelled, hugging Naomi even tighter. Naomi just cried harder, melting into the kiss.

"You guys look like you need some privacy. Abby, Rose, let's go start training for the gym battle." I said, saying goodbye to Joy and Naomi. We walked outside and went to the makeshift battlefield. "Before we begin, Abby, can I talk to Rose for a second?" I asked, gaining a nod from Abby. I led Rose to a bench next to the woods, not seeing anyone around. "Rose, I've been wondering about earlier, and I really want to know what that kiss was about." I said, waiting for any sign that she had heard me, but she refused to look me in the eyes. I sighed, before pulling her closer to me. "Do you remember the day I came home in tears after my confrontation with Greg?" She nodded, sniffling a couple times. "I still remember coming home and crying in bed, you laying next to me. You told me I could tell you anything. I want you to know, you can do the same, and I will never judge you." I said, as Rose started to tear up. "I love you..." She mumbled, so quiet, I almost didn't hear her. "W-what? What do you mean?" I asked, her looking me in the eyes for the first time. "I love you, I have since you started coming to me and trusting me with your problems. Seeing you with Abby tears me up inside, but seeing how happy you are with her makes me happy." I stared at her for a couple seconds, then brought her in for a hug. "I'm sorry I caused you so much heartache, but I'm sure you'll find someone for your own. You just have to keep on looking." I said, wiping away her tears. "Now come on, we have to train for our gym battle tomorrow.

After training, I had learned that Abby knew the moves Aura Sphere, Bone Rush, Quick Guard, and Heal Pulse, while Rose knew Moon Blast, Swift, Misty Terrain, and Helping Hand. With training out of the way, we decided to take a walk in the woods. "With both of your move sets, I'm sure we'll be winning this gym badge for sure." I said, pumping my fist in the air. Abby and Rose laughed at my behavior. "Not if you keep getting cocky like that." Said Abby, giggling. I was about to make a joke when Rose froze, her ears perked. "what's wro-" Abby shushed me, and I started to listen. At first, all I heard was the wind rustling the leaves, then I picked up the sounds of whining. Before I new what I was doing, I ran through the foliage towards the sound, ignoring the thorns that were cutting up my legs. When I made it, what I saw made me sick. In a clearing, a small Zorua lay in a pool of it's own blood, it's front legs caught in a trap. By the looks of all this blood, the little Zorua had been in the trap all day. I ran over to it, trying to pry open the iron jaws of the trap, tearing up my hands in the process. "Abby, Rose, get over here quick!" I yelled, in need of their help. Seconds later, the both of them appeared, gasping when they saw what was happening. "Abby, use Bone Rush and aim for the trap!" I yelled, watching her break the trap. Rose, wrap your ribbons around it's legs and add pressure, we have to stop the bleeding!" I said, as Rose did what I told her to. "Abby, I need you to use Heal Pulse, too much blood is being lost. After you do that, get Nurse Joy! I said quickly. After she used Heal Pulse, she quickly ran in the direction of the pokécenter. "Hey, stay with me, you're going to be ok, can you tell me your name?" I asked, lightly smacking it's cheek. "H-Hikage" He said, his eyes slowly turning towards me. "Hikage, that's a cool name. What does it mean?" I asked, trying to get his mind off of the pain. "M-my mom said it means Shadow.

"Listen to me Hikage, you're going to be ok, Nurse Joy is on her way, she will be able to get you fixed up." I said, rubbing his head. A few minutes later, I heard crashing in the undergrowth, followed by Joy and Abby. They ran towards us and sat down. "Have you been keeping pressure on it's legs?" Nurse Joy asked, taking out her sewing kit. "Yes, I had Rose here wrap his legs with her ribbons." I said, scratching Rose behind the ears. "Good thinking, but this is only temporary, we need to get him back to the pokécenter to make sure his legs don't become infected, but first, I need to stitch up his wounds to stop the bleeding." Joy said, starting to sew up his legs. When she finished, I slowly picked him, cradling him in my arms as we headed back to the pokécenter. When we got back, we carefully set him in a bed, hooking him up to a few machines, everyone but me leaving the room. As he was rested onto the bed, he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. I crouched down until I was level to his eyes, and started speaking. "Hey there Hikage, you're in the pokécenter right now, you're going to be just fine." I said, until I noticed his panicked look. "M-mother! Where's my mom!" He demanded, trying to sit up. "Hey, stop moving! If you keep moving, you'll just open up your stitches!" I said, trying to get him to calm down. When I said stitches, he froze, looked down at his legs and started to cry. "Shh, it's ok, why don't you tell me what your mom looks like and where I might find her, and I'll go look for her." I said pushing him gently until he was laying down again. He sniffled a few times, then nodded. "S-she's very tall, and her left ear has been torn, we actually live right next to where you found me, so she should be around there." He said, trying to get comfortable. "Ok, well I'll go look for her now, does she have a name?" I asked, making sure I knew as much as I could. "I've heard people call her Mitsuki before." He said, finally laying still. "Be careful though, she's not very trusting of humans." He said, yawning loudly. "Ok, I'll go, in the meantime though, I want you to try and sleep. You've had a stressful day, and you need your rest." I said, and no sooner had I said this, I heard a small snore from him.

I walked out of the room and towards Abby. "I'm going to go look for Hikage's mom." I said, putting on my hat. "Ok, do you want me to go get Rose so we can head out?" She asked, getting ready to get her. "No, actually, I was planning on going alone." I said, receiving a shocked look from her. "Why? Won't that be dangerous?!" She asked, looking worried. "Yes, it will be dangerous. Hikage said that his mom isn't very trusting of humans, if I take you and Rose with me, I'll look more threatening to her. This is something I must do alone. Don't worry though, I promise I'll come back to you safe." I said, bringing her into a deep kiss. "You better!" She said, hugging me tightly. With one more kiss, I headed out, walking into the woods in the direction of where we found Hikage.

After walking for about an hour, I arrived. I looked around, feeling as if I was being watched. "Hello? Mitsuki? Are you here?" I asked, looking around. I started to walk again, until a voice behind me followed by the feeling of claws on my neck made me freeze. "Turn around slowly, one false move, and it will be the last thing you ever do." The voice said, making me gulp. I slowly turned around, my hands above my head. When I turned around completely, I got a good look at my attacker. Standing in front of me, was an intimidating looking female Zoroark with emerald green eyes and a ragged left ear. "Sit against that tree, and don't move." She said, glaring at me. I sat against the tree, doing as I was told to avoid being attacked. "Look ma'am, I'm sorry to trespass, it's just, me, my girlfriend, and our friend found a Zorua earlier, he-" I was cut off by Mitsuki's claws digging in to my shirt and pulling my face close to hers so she could glare at me. "I swear to Arceus, if you hurt my son, I will kill you right here!" She growled, bearing her teeth at me. I shook my head, my eyes wide.

"N-no ma'am, I would never hurt a pokemon, your son is at the pokécenter right now, being treated for his injuries!" I said, wincing as her claws dug into my skin, blood starting to soak through my shirt. At the mention of injuries, she released me, my head hitting the tree, dazing me for a few seconds. "What do you mean injuries? Is Hikage ok?" She asked, helping me to my feet when she saw me hit the tree. I wobbled for a few seconds, shaking my head to clear away the dizziness. "That's what I was trying to tell you. Me, my girlfriend, and our friend found Hikage hurt, he had gotten his front legs caught in a trap. We freed him and helped as best we could. Right now he's resting in the pokécenter, I promised him I would find you and bring you to him." I said, before thanking her for the help.

"Oh, thank Arceus he's ok, I told him not to leave the den! With all the pokemon poachers out here, it's not safe for a little Zorua like Hikage!" She said, relieved that her son was safe. My breathe caught in my throat. "Pokemon poachers? Do you mean people actually do that?!" I asked not believing what I was hearing. Mitsuki just nodded her head sadly. "With hunters taking the berries and using them to catch other pokemon, food has been incredibly scarce. Hikage offered to go forage for food, but I refused to let him. He must have snuck out while I was sleeping. He has always been pretty sneaky, that's why I named him Hikage." She said, a tear forming in her eye. I looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to go down. We hadn't started walking back to the pokécenter yet, and it would get dark before we got back.

"Mitsuki, I know you want to see him as soon as possible, but do you have anywhere we can take shelter for the night? With what you told me about the poachers, nighttime will be pretty dangerous for both of us." I said, looking around the quickly darkening woods. When I looked back at her, I saw a look of sadness cross her face. "Yes, our cave is just up ahead, I'll take you there, follow me." She said, walking off without looking to see if I was following her. "Hey, don't worry, we'll head back first thing in the morning." I said, cheering her up a little bit. Mitsuki softly smiled at me. "I know, I just can't help but worry about him." She said as we arrived at a small cave. I walked in and was amazed. The cave was dimly lit by glowing crystals hanging by the ceiling like stalactites, a few even grew on the cave floor. I looked back at her, awestruck. She only smiled and giggled. "Pretty cool right? I found this place a day after we came to these woods." She said, noticing my awe. I nodded, continuing to look around. She walked over to one of the areas where the crystals grew on the ground, breaking off a small chunk of one and walked back over to me. "You said you had a girlfriend? Why don't you give this to her?" She said, placing the small crystal in my hands. I looked at it for a few seconds, turning it in my hands, then shaking my head and handing it back to her.

"I appreciate the thought, but I can't take it. This is part of your home, you should keep it." I said, giving her a smile. She once again placed it in my hand. "Please take it, I have plenty, so don't worry. Plus, think of it as a thank you, you saved my son when he could have been taken away from me, and for that, I'm thankful." Mitsuki said, surprising me with a hug. As she separated from the hug, her stomach growled, causing her to blush, and me to laugh. "I see you're hungry." I said, chuckling at her embarrassed look. I rummaged through my backpack, placing the crystal inside while I was at it. After about two minutes of searching, I pulled out a couple wrapped sandwiches I had gotten before the training earlier with Abby and Rose. I set the sandwiches on the ground in front of us. "Do you want any sandwiches? If you're in the mood for meat, I have Grumpig ham sandwiches and Magikarp salad sandwiches. Otherwise, I have lettuce and tamato berry sandwiches, take your pick." I said, smiling. I could see her mouth watering as she looked at them. She hesitantly reached for a Grumpig ham sandwich, looking at me carefully before picking it up. "A-are you sure I can have one?" She asked timidly, shocking me. I looked at her, nodding. "Sure, eat as much as you want!" I said, smiling as I saw her start to dig in. She had a few more sandwiches before contentedly laying on her back.

"Hey, Mitsuki, I have to call and let Nurse Joy know that I won't be back tonight, since I'm calling the pokécenter, do you want to talk to Hikage?" I asked, smiling as I noticed how excited she looked at the mention of her son. "YES! Please let me talk to him!" She begged. I pulled out my pokégear and dialed the number for the Hearthome pokécenter. After ringing a few times, Nurse Joy picked up. "This is the Hearthome city pokécenter, wha- oh, hey Void, why are you not back yet? I hope you know that Abby is extremely worried about you." She said, trying to sound disappointed in me. "Hey Joy, it was too dark to make it back tonight, please tell Abby and Rose that I am fine and will see them tomorrow. Oh, and while you're still on the line, do you think you can get Hikage?" I asked, waiting as Nurse Joy took the video phone into Hikage's room and set it on the bed. A couple seconds later, a cute little black and red face came into focus. "Hey Hikage, I wanted to let you know, we won't be able to make it back tonight, but I also wanted to let you know, I kept my promise. Your mom wants to talk to you, so I'm going to put her on now" I said, stepping back and letting Mitsuki talk to her son. As they talked, I cleaned up the mess left by the sandwich wrappers, then started to set up my sleeping bag. When I finished setting it up, I sat down and listened to the call for a few more minutes before carefully tapping her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to put away the pokégear now." I whispered. Mitsuki nodded, turning back to the screen. "I have to go Hikage, make sure you get some sleep, ok?" She said, before closing the pokégear and banding it back to me. I made sure it was off, then put it in my bag. Mitsuki pointed her hand at the the cave entrance, took a deep breathe, then made it disappear. I looked at her shocked. "How did you do that? You just got rid of the cave entrance!" I asked, looking dumbfoundedly at her. She just chuckled at me, smiling. "I didn't get rid of anything, try touching where the entrance was." She said, pointing at the new wall. I carefully stood up, walking over to where the entrance just was, and placed my hand on the wall. Instead of being solid, my hand went through the wall, causing it to waver, before disappearing all together. "See, the entrance is still there, I'm just using my illusion ability to make the cave safer." She said, putting the illusion back up.

When I finally got over my initial amazement, I slowly walked back to my sleeping bag. I laid down, watching as Mitsuki laid down nearby. After a few minutes, I noticed she was shivering slightly. Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out a light gray blanket I kept in my bag for myself. I got out of my sleeping bag and walked over to Mitsuki, laying the blanket on her. She jumped slightly, then looked at me confused. "What's this?" She asked, looking at the blanket now placed around her. I smiled at her. "I noticed that you were shivering. I had an extra blanket in my backpack. You can keep it if you want." I said, smiling when she snuggled into the blanket. "Thank you, but are you sure I can have it?" She asked, looking at me questioningly. When I nodded, she smiled, wrapping the blanket around herself. "Can I ask you a question?" I asked, trying to understand something. Mitsuki turned, looking inquisitively at me. "Sure, go ahead, what do you want to know?" She asked, tilting her head at me. "Why do you not like humans very much? Is it because of the poachers?" I asked, honestly really curious. She looked away, suddenly very quiet, and I could tell the topic was something she didn't like to talk about.

"No, well, not exactly. I used to belong to a trainer. He was a terrible man, he would use me as a 'breeding pokemon' for his Ditto. One day, I gave birth. He then tried to take my eggs, and when I tried to protect them, he cut off my left ear and beat me! I was only able to save one egg before running away into these woods!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug, letting her cry. "I'm so sorry I brought it up, I had no idea you went through all that!" I said, continuing to hold her. We stayed like that for a few more minutes before she stopped crying. "Thank you for caring. Can I ask you a question?" She asked, sniffling a few times. I looked at her and nodded. "Of coarse, what is it Mitsuki?" I said, sitting on the floor in front of her. "W-well, I always thought humans were all the same. Greedy beings that only care for themselves. Why are you so different?" She asked, looking down at the ground. I frowned, I now knew what she went through, but I had no idea she thought we were all the same. "Look Mitsuki, your old trainer was horrible, but not all people are like that. You'd find that there are many people who are nice and caring if you'd give them a chance, but to answer your question, the reason why I may be different might be because, I'm not even fully human." I said, smiling at her. When I said that last part, her eyes widened. "Wait, what do you mean you're not fully human?" She asked, looking at me in confusion. "Well, I'm actually part Lucario. My mom married her Lucario years ago, and shortly after they married, I was born." I said, telling her about my parents. We talked for about an hour, discussing happier times in our lives before deciding to go to sleep.

When I woke up, I checked the time on my pokégear, only to see that it was eight O'Clock in the morning. Sitting up and stretching, I looked over at Mitsuki, noticing that she was still sleeping, a small smile on her face. I silently walked over to her and gently shook her shoulder. "Mitsuki, it's time to wa-" I didn't get to finish, as a surprised Mitsuki suddenly flipped over, jabbing me with her claws and sending me flying across the cave. When I landed, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. From where I was, I could just see her quickly look around, before her eyes rested on me.

 _Mitsuki's POV_

I jolted awake as my shoulder was shaken, quickly attacking my aggressor. As soon as I felt my claws sink in, I used my strength to send them flying. I quickly looked around, trying to find whoever was there. My heart dropped when my eyes landed on Void. He was laying awkwardly on the ground. When I hurried over to him, I saw that a crystal growing out of the cave floor was impaled through his stomach. Blood was soaking through his shirt. I stood there, not being able to move. "OH ARCEUS, WHAT HAVE I DONE!" I yelled, starting to shake. Void shakily placed his hand on my shoulder. When I looked at him, he smiled softly before attempting to talk. "My...fault" He said, before his hand fell and his eyes closed, blood trickling from his mouth. "Don't you die, Void! Please, don't die. I'm sorry!" I yelled, but got no answer.

 _Void's POV_

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was floating in a vast expanse of nothingness. Where am I? I carefully stood up, noticing that there was no floor to stand on, causing me to freak out. After awhile, I started to calm down. I took a few deep breathes, then began to walk. "H-hello, is anyone here?" I called, continuing to walk. I walked for maybe another five minutes before giving up, seemingly going nowhere. I sat back down, thinking to myself about what I could possibly do next, when a melodious voice from behind me made me jump. "Hello Void" Said the voice, followed by a giggle when I jumped. I slowly turned around, and who I saw both filled me with awe and sadness. "Arceus..."

 **Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you did, please leave a review, as they help me grow as a writer. First of all, I want to say Happy New Years! I hope to bring you all more great stories this year. Speaking of which, I have plans to bring you all side stories from this story. These stories will include side couples and what if scenarios. After this chapter is released, I'm planning to start one of those stories right away. I look forward to writing more.**

 **~spudbud16**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 _ **WARNING**_ : Contains talk of suicide as well as rape. Do not read if this bothers you.

 _Void's POV_

I slowly bowed, it being an incredible honor to be in the presence of The Creator herself. Arceus chuckled, and the sound could easily be compared to the many chimes of bells. "You may rise Void. I must say, it makes me very happy knowing there's still people who show respect these days." She said, walking towards me. "Now, I understand that you must have a lot of questions you would want answered. If you could just hold on to the ring around my waist, I could take you to a better place where we could talk. I swear, you humans don't even try." She said, looking around at the endless white background. As I tightly held onto the ring, Arceus opened up some kind of portal in the middle of thin air, before leading me through it, into a tunnel of swirling colors. This tunnel seemed to go on forever, as we have been traveling for the last five minutes. I sighed, leaning against Arceus's back, causing her to gasp. Realizing what I just did, I quickly apologized, looking away. She was silent for a moment before she smiled. "It's ok, what has you so gloomy anyway?" She asked, continuing to walk. I looked at her for a second. "I'm not trying to be rude, but can't you just read my thoughts?" I asked, looking skeptically at her. She grinned, looking forward. "I could, but I think it would be a lot better to hear it from you, don't you agree?" She said, smiling at me. I just sighed, looking at her sadly. "I'm dead aren't I" I asked, looking down. Arceus frowned, and started picking up speed, a bright white light appearing at the end of the tunnel, getting so bright, I had to close my eyes. When I next opened my eyes, we were standing in some kind of large crystalline hall, a throne suspended in the air over a pool of crystal clear water.

"Welcome, Void, to the Hall of Origins. You happen to be the first human to ever step foot here, I just wish it could be under better circumstances." She said, floating up to her throne and going silent. I looked around, amazed at how beautiful the room was, before remembering why I was here. "Sorry to seem disrespectful, but you never answered my question." I said, bowing to show I meant no disrespect. Arceus sighed, giving me a saddened look. "In a way, yes. Your body sustained a fatal wound that killed you. I'm sorry, I know it's not something you'd like to hear." She said, looking at me with pity. I slowly lowered my head, wanting nothing more then to fall to my knees and beg for my life, but I figured that she had to deal with this every time. "You know, somehow the fact that I'm dead doesn't bother me that much." I said, sitting down on the ground. Arceus's eyes widened, and she gave me a surprised look. "Then what has you so sad?" She asked, looking at me, confused. "I made multiple promises. I promised Hikage that I would bring his mom to him. I also promised Abby that I would come back to her safely. Knowing that I can't keep my promises to them, I can't help but feel like I let everyone down." I said, placing my face into my hands. "I see. It takes a very honorable person to worry about their family and friends instead of themselves in their time of dying, and for that, I applaud you." She said, smiling at me. "Thank you for that, Arceus, I really appreciate you trying to make me feel better." I said, giving her a halfhearted smile, thinking about the fact I would never see Abby, Rose, or my family ever again. Arceus frowned, looking at me, seemingly deep in thought.

"Void, I just thought of something. I may be able to send you back." She said, smiling widely when she saw a sliver of hope in my eyes. I looked up at her, the possibility of returning to Abby filled me with hope. "Void, you have shown nothing but kindness to your pokemon, even going as far as to show kindness to those you did not even know. In the decades I have watched you humans roam the earth with their pokemon, I have never seen the love and dedication you have showed. It is people like you that make me happy to have created the world. I can keep your body from losing to much blood, giving your friends time to save you, but that's all I can do for you. Trust me, I wish I could do more, but there's only so much my power can do." She said, frowning at me. I smiled at her. "You've done enough already, because of you, I have the chance to see Abby and Rose again!" I said, wrapping my arms around her in a hug, causing her to flinch, before chuckling. "You know Void, it takes a lot of courage to hug the literal creator of everything." She said, giving an almost inaudible sigh.

"Why should it take courage to show you appreciation? Are you telling me nobody has ever shown you any?" I asked in shock. She went silent, looking around the room, before sighing again. "Void, I hardly ever show myself, it shouldn't be so surprising." She said, looking down in sadness. I simply looked into her eyes "Anybody who does as much as you have done deserves recognition!" I said, sticking to my beliefs. She slowly shook her head and opened her mouth, getting ready to say something, but I didn't let her. I bowed, causing her to tilt her head at me in confusion. "Others may not know of all your help, but I do. I may be only one person, but please allow me to say thank you, for everything you've done for the world." I said, slowly straightening my back, seeing her look away with a small smile.

"Thank you Void, but do you want to go back or not?" She asked, getting right back on topic. I quickly nodded. "Of course I do, why?" I asked, suddenly aware of her worried look. Arceus turned to look at me again, meeting my eyes. "I can only keep up the energy to do this for so long, the longer we wait, the less of a chance it has of working." She said, giving me a sad look. "Ok, well, should we start now?" I asked, gaining a nod from her. "Yes, let's begin, I need you to be as still as you can." She said, her eyes starting to glow. I stood as still as I could, closing my eyes and feeling a strange warm sensation throughout my body. When the feeling stopped, I let out a breathe I didn't even know I was holding. Opening my eyes, I couldn't help but look at her in confusion.

"What was with that strange feeling?" I asked, not being able to understand what was going on. "Since your soul is attached to your body still, I was able to heal your body by focusing my power on your spirit." She said, smiling at my awestruck look. "Does that mean I am going to be able to return to Abby and Rose?!" I asked with excitement, which slowly faded as I noticed her smile starting to disappear. She sighed, looking me in the eyes. "Not exactly. Like I said before, I can only give you more time, whether or not you survive is up to how fast your friends can help you. I'm afraid to say, if they can't get you to the pokécenter and revive you, you may crossover." Arceus said, her eyes full of sorrow. "H-how long do I have?" I asked, my eyes matching hers. She took a deep breathe, seemingly trying to calm herself. "I tried my best, but I was only able to give you until midnight." She said sadly. I smiled, even though I was saddened by my chances. "That's enough time. I completely trust them to be able to save me!" I said, trying to sound confident, but it came out sounding like I was trying to convince myself.

Arceus gave me a comforting smile. "I'm sure they will, now come on, we still have things to do if you want to go back." She said, causing me to become confused. "What else is there to do?" I asked her, not moving. She looked at me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We have to send a message of course." She said, huffing in annoyance. "Now, would you like the honors?" She asked, lifting me onto the throne with telekinesis so that I was right next to her. "S-sure, but how do I send the message?" I asked, looking up at her. "All you have to do is look into the Pool of Beginnings, think of who you want to send the message to, then begin talking." She said, smiling at me and urging me to begin. I took a deep breathe, thought of someone and looked into the clear water, and began to talk.

 _Mitsuki's POV_

I sat in the corner of the cave crying and rocking, my knees against my chest. How could I kill someone, let alone the only human who was nice. "I-I'm so sorry Void, you did nothing but show me and Hikage kindness, and I turned around and

k-killed you!" I sobbed quietly to myself, slouching against the cave wall. Slowly getting up, I made my over to his broken body and crouched over him. "D-dear Arceus, I'm s-sorry I killed him. I know I'll be going to the Distortion World, but please forgive me. If Void's with you, please take good care of him, he didn't deserve to die." I prayed silently, tears falling down my face. I carefully stood up, walking over to a patch of crystals that were growing out of the floor. Breaking off an especially sharp looking crystal, I turned the crystal in my hand. _This will work_... I thought sadly, tears welling up in my eyes from what I was about to do. "I'm so sorry Hikage, I hope you can find someone who will take care of you." I said sadly to myself. I closed my eyes and lifted the crystal, preparing to take myself out like I had killed Void. Taking a deep breathe, I plunged it down, stopping at the last second as a voice called out to me.

 _"WAIT, don't do it!"_ I looked around the cave, my eyes resting on Void. "V-Void, Is that you?" I asked, dropping the sharp crystal to the ground. " _I know you're sad and scared right now, but suicide is not the answer! Think about Hikage. He's at the pokécenter right now, waiting for his mother, waiting for YOU! Don't leave him without a mother!"_ Void said, a sad edge to his voice. I fell to my knees, crawling over to his body and crying into his shoulder. "How can I face Hikage again?! You showed him and I nothing but kindness, proving to me that there are still good people out there, and I turned around and killed you! Who does that?" I sobbed, just wanting to crawl into a hole and die. _"It wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have startled you like that, but listen, I may be able to return, but I really need your help. I need you to go into my bag and use my pokégear to call the Hearthome pokécenter. I don't have much time, if I can't be stabilized, I won't be able to come back."_ He said, causing me to cheer up slightly. "S-so you can come back? Wait... Won't it be faster to bring you to the pokécenter myself?" I asked, waiting for an answer, but it never came. "V-Void? Are you still here?" I asked, starting to get worried when he didn't reply.

Making up my mind, I quickly grabbed his bag and put it on my shoulder, then carefully picked Void up and ran out of the cave, following the path that cut through the woods, leading to the city. After running for a while, the red roof of the pokécenter came into view. I quickly found the front door, only to find a sign that said the pokécenter was closed for the day due to damages. With a look of determination and a deep breathe, I backed up a fair difference, then charged the door, breaking through the glass. As I shook the dizziness off, a woman with pink hair stepped out from a back room holding a baseball bat in her hands. "What in Arceus's name is going on h-" She started to say, before noticing that I was carrying Void. Without saying anything else, she ran behind her desk and pressed a red button. As she pressed it, an odd looking Audino ran out of the back room pushing a gurney in front of her. After gently placing Void on the gurney, the pink haired woman put her hand on the side of his neck, then leaned towards him with her ear close to his face. "Naomi, take him to the nearest vacant medical room and attach him to the ventilator, he's not breathing!" She yelled, causing the Audino to wheel Void away.

With a deep sigh, the pink haired lady turned and gave me a stressed smile. "Hello, Mitsuki. I'm Nurse Joy, while we take care of Void, do you want to talk to Hikage, he's been so excited to see you again!" She said with a smile, at least until she saw my tears. "I-I can't. I can't face Hikage again." I said, whimpering to myself. Nurse Joy froze, looking at me confusedly. "What are you talking about? What's wrong?" She asked, laying her hand on my shoulder. I just shook her hand off of me. "Can I just explain when everyone is together?" I asked, sitting in a chair with my face in my hands. Everything was silent for a few seconds, then Nurse Joy cleared her throat. "S-sure, let's just check if Void is stabilized, then we can gather in my room in the back, please follow me." She said, walking in the direction that Naomi had went in. When we made it to the medical room, I saw Void laying in bed, hooked up to a machine. Near him, the Audino was wiping his forehead with a wet cloth. "How's he doing, Naomi?" She asked, checking his vitals. "He's stabilized. I was able to remove the crystal stuck in his stomach, Mitsuki got him here in time." Naomi said, giving me a smile. I gave her a small smile back. "Thank Arceus for that, but Mitsuki wants to talk to us all at one time, so if Void is ok, please follow us." Nurse Joy said, walking out the door.

After gathering the boy named Greg and his partner Hikari, we came to a door right next door. "Right, this is our last stop. Void's girlfriend Abby as well as a good friend are staying in this room." Nurse Joy said, getting ready to knock. I softly tapped her shoulder before she could knock. "N-Nurse Joy, do you mind if I go in and talk to them for a couple minutes?" I asked, looking at her pleadingly. "Sure, go ahead, but why do you want to?" She asked, giving me a confused look. I stayed quiet for a few seconds, then sighed deeply. "I want to apologize..." I said, knocking on the door and entering, leaving everybody confused. When I entered the room, I saw a Lucario and a Sylveon sitting on the bed, laughing as if one of them had just told a hilarious joke. When the Lucario saw me, she attempted to stop laughing, looking at me in confusion. I shuffled over to the bed awkwardly, not looking any of them in the eye. After a few seconds, The Sylveon broke the silence, smiling brightly at me. "Are you Mitsuki?!" She asked, seeming rather excited. I slowly nodded, starting to feel slightly more comfortable now that they at least knew who I was. "Hikage couldn't stop talking about you, how you were a great mother. My name is Rose, and this is Abby, Void's girlfriend." She said, seeming to say the last part with slight sadness. The Lucario next to her waved at me.

I froze, looking at the Lucario named Abby. "W-wait, Void said he had a girlfriend, but I assumed he was with a human!" I said, flinching as she glared at me. "Oh, so you think that just because I'm not human, I can't be with the one I love?!" She asked, clearly upset. My eyes widened and I shook my head. "N-no! That's not what I meant! He just didn't seem like the kind of person who would fall in love with a pokemon, that's all." I said, relaxing when I saw her calm down. "Yeah, I understand what you mean. For awhile, I was afraid to tell him how I felt about him, I was afraid that he wouldn't want me around, but it turned out I was very wrong." She said, looking distant, as if she was remembering something. A few seconds later, she shook her head as if trying to clear it. "Speaking of Void, where is he? He was supposed to find you and come right back." Abby said, looking at me, confused. I sighed, looking away from them. When I was about to tell them what had happened, there was a knock on the door. Nurse Joy walked in, looking at me. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but have you told them about Void yet?" She asked, causing me to once again flinch, as I saw the look of confusion on Abby's face turn to horror.

Abby turned to me, her eyes wide. "W-what does she mean, what happened to Void?!" She asked, a look of fear on her face. I sighed, then sadly looked her in the eyes. "I-I think it would be better to show you." I said, following Nurse Joy out the door, Abby and Rose following close behind. The walk to Void's medical room was quiet, nobody knowing what to say. When we made it to the room, Abby pushed past everyone and went inside. When she saw Void laying on the bed attached to the ventilator, she broke down into tears, falling onto her knees. "H-how? How did this happen?" She asked, not looking at anyone. I slowly sat down, then began to explain the events of earlier, leaving out the part where I had almost committed suicide. When I finished, I looked around the room, seeing all the looks of shock, but especially noticing the look of grief on Abby's face. "I-I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen." I said, wrapping my arms around the crying Lucario. Before I could say anything else, I found myself being flung across the room by a greenish blue sphere driven into my stomach. As I hit the wall, she jumped onto her feet and created a bone shaped staff and charged at me, only to be held back by Rose. "Get the fuck out of here! I had a bad feeling about Void going out alone to find you, and now I know why! You're just a cold hearted bitch and a murderer!" She screamed, glaring at me and trying to attack me. I flinched, slowly sitting up with tears welling in my eyes. "O-ok, I'll go, j-just please take good care of Hikage." I said, slowly walking out of the room with my hair hanging over my eyes. I silently walked out of the pokécenter, heading for the woods with my head down. When I made it into the woods, I sat down on a random rock, not wanting to go back to the cave where Void got hurt.

I sat there for awhile, thinking about everything that happened that day. A snapping twig to my left made me jump. I quickly turned around, bearing my teeth in the direction of the noise. "Who's there?" I asked, listening for any movement. For the first few seconds, there was no movement or sounds, then a figure stepped out from behind a tree. When I saw who it was, my shoulders slouched. Abby was standing there, and I couldn't read her mood. Taking a deep breathe, I walked over to her. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice barely over a whisper. She looked at me with sadness in her eyes, and before I knew it, I was wrapped in a hug. "I-I'm sorry for before, I just really love Void, and seeing him like that, I couldn't take it." She said, tears streaming down her face. I just stood there, relaxing into the hug. After a few seconds, she pulled away from the hug. "Nurse Joy told me that if it wasn't for you getting Void to the pokécenter as soon as you did, he wouldn't have made it." She said, wiping the tears away from her eyes. I looked at her uncertainly. "S-so, does that mean you don't really think of me as a 'cold hearted bitch'?" I asked, looking at her sadly. Abby flinched, looking down at the ground. "N-no, of course not, that slipped out in the heat of the moment. With the way you seem to care for your son, that's proof enough that you aren't." She said, giving me a small smile. "Now come back to the pokécenter, I'm sure Void would like you to be there when he wakes up. Nurse Joy said that he'll be off of the ventilator soon!" She said, grabbing my arm and pulling me in the direction of the pokécenter.

 _Five Hours Later_

 _Void's POV_

"Looks like I can't keep you for any longer." Arceus said, giving me a smile. I smiled back, about to say something before I was levitated off of her throne and onto the ground. Shaking away the motion sickness, I turned around and playfully glared at her. "A little warning next time would be nice!" I said, my glare turning into a smile. "Yeah? Where's the fun in that?" She said, giving me a cheeky grin. I shook my head, smiling. "Well thanks for everything Arceus, without you, I wouldn't have been able to see the one I love again." I said, happy to be able to go back. She only nodded, opening up a portal. "As soon as you go through this portal, you'll wake up." She said, giving me a smile. I smiled and started walking to the portal, but she called me before I could enter it. "Oh, Void, I forgot to tell you a couple things. First, I'll be sending a trusted

pokemon to meet you on your journey. I can't say for sure, but I feel there may be some trouble up ahead." She said, giving me a grim look. I nodded determinedly. "That's fine with me, who are you sending?" I asked, looking her in the eyes. She only grinned. "You'll just have to find that out later." She said, giving me another cheeky look. "I also wanted to let you know, I hear every prayer, so if you need me, just ask." She said, giving me a small shove into the portal before I could say anything else. I felt like I was falling, colors swirling all around me. I suddenly felt weak, and I soon passed out.

As I came to, I became aware of rhythmic beeping to my left, followed by a voice I wasn't expecting. "Honey, I think he's waking up!" A male voice said, sounding close. I lied there, trying to place where I had heard the voice before. After a few seconds, I remembered, causing my eyes to snap open in shock. As my vision came back to me, I stared at the two figures standing near the bed. My parents stood there, smiling down at me as they noticed that my eyes were opened. "Hey Void, how're you feeling son?" My father asked, giving me a smile. I looked around the room, looking for Abby and the others. Seeing me looking around, my mom placed her hand on my shoulder, causing me to look back at her. "What's wrong, Void?" She asked, looking at me with concern. I looked them both in the eyes. "Where are they?" I asked, looking directly at my dad. He shifted awkwardly, but kept eye contact with me. "W-who are you talking about?" He asked, sounding quite nervous. I glared at him, starting to sit up. "You know damn well who!" I said, causing both my parents to flinch. He looked like he was about to yell, but mom put a hand on his shoulder. "Your father thought it best to send them out of the room." She said hesitantly, giving dad an apologetic look, as if for ratting him out.

I sighed loudly, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Mom, can I talk to you for a second, alone?" I said through gritted teeth, glaring at my dad when I said the last word. He looked like he was about to protest, but a sharp look from mom made him nod, walking out the door without another word. Making sure he was gone, I turned back to her. "What do you even see in him?!" I asked incredulously. She only frowned. "You know he only means well, right?" She asked, giving me a sad look. My jaw dropped, and I glared at her. "Trying to split me and Abby up is meaning well?!" I yelled, mad that she would be ok with that. "I wish you and dad would see that I love her with all my heart!" I said, a tear in my eye. She gave me a small smile. "We know that, Honey." She said, rubbing my back. I wiped away the tears, looking at her. "Then why would you both try to split us up?" I asked, sniffling a few times. She smiled at me, bringing me into a light hug. "I think you should talk to your father about that." She said, getting up and walking to the door. She gave me one more smile, then walked out of the room. A few minutes later, dad slowly walked in and sat on the end of the bed.

He sat there for a few seconds, not saying anything. Then, out of nowhere, he brought me into a hug, causing me to wince as pain shot through my stomach. Sensing my discomfort, he quickly let me go, sitting in silence once again. "Why? Why won't you accept me and Abby?" I asked, looking at him with hurt in my eyes. He sighed, looking at me in sadness. "I know you probably hate me for that, but I just don't want you go through the same thing I did." He said, looking down at the floor. "What do you mean?" I asked, getting confused. "Leaving you and your mom was the hardest thing I had to do. I just don't want you to start that kind of relationship, just to have to leave if she became pregnant." He said, his voice quiet. My eyes widened, and I brought him into a hug, careful not to hurt my stomach this time. "Why didn't you just say so?" I asked,

Looking him in the eyes. He looked back at me. "I tried, but you stormed out of the house and started your journey early. When the Zoroark called us on your pokégear, I thought it was you, and I was going to apologize, but when she said you had been injured badly, we rushed up here. She told us what she did, I snapped at her, and told her I wanted her to stay away from you." He said, looking at me apologetically.

When I heard the last part, I once again glared at him. "She did nothing wrong!" I yelled, causing his eye to twitch. "She said she killed you!" He yelled back. I sat back up, getting as close to him as I could. "It was MY fault. I startled her when I woke her up!" I said, getting an incredulous look from him. "How does that give her any right to attack you?!" He said, with anger in his voice. I took a deep breathe. "She was abused by her previous owner, who even took one of her eggs. Couple that with the fact that there are poachers in these woods, I don't blame her for attacking me, she was protecting herself!" I said, starting to unhook the IVs in my arms. With a shrill alarm from the machine, I stood shakily, quickly clutching my stomach as pain shot through me. Dad was quickly at my side, grabbing my shoulders and steadying me. "And what do you think your going?!" He asked, as I shook his hands off me. "To go find Mitsuki, you might not want her near me, but there's no way I'm going to leave an emotionally unstable mother to fend for herself!" I said, hobbling out the door, leaving my dad mortified at what he might have done.

I hobbled over to Hikage's room, checking to see if Mitsuki was in there, but when I looked inside, she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Hikage was also missing, and where he used to be, was a note. I slowly limped into the room and picked up the piece of paper and began to read.

 _"Dear Void,_

 _If you are reading this, I have left the pokécenter. Your father has made it very clear that I am a danger to everyone I'm around, and that it would be best if I stayed away from you. I have decided to take Hikage with me so you can focus on_

 _Healing. Please don't come looking for me, I don't want to put you through any more trouble. Please know that I am very thankful for everything you have done for me and Hikage._

 _Thank you for everything,_

 _-Mitsuki_

I just sat there, reading and rereading the note, not being able to believe they were gone. After awhile, Abby peeked in the door, gasping when she saw me sitting there. "V-Void! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed resting?!" She said, her eyes wide. I shakily held up the letter, letting her take the paper and read it. As she read it, the color started to drain from her face."What are we going to do?!" She asked, bringing me into a hug. I painfully got up, getting to my feet.

"C-come on, I think I know where they went." I said, leaning against her while we walked. As we made it to the lobby, I was stopped by my mother. Before she could say anything, I handed her the note, to which she read and stormed off towards the room I had left dad in. I slowly made my way to Joy's desk and rang the bell. A few seconds later, she came out of the back office, jumping as she saw it was me. "I-I know what your thinking, but please, I need a cane. I don't really have time to explain." I said, grimacing at the pain. Nurse Joy reluctantly handed me a metal cane. I gave her a small smile and headed for the front door. When I got to the door, I turned to her. "I-if you want to know what's happening, ask my mom for the note." I said, before walking out the door.

The walk was a lot longer due to my slow walking. By the time we made it to Mitsuki's cave, the sun was in the middle of the sky. As we got closer, I started to make out the sound of a male's gruff voice coming from inside. "Well well well, if it isn't the pokemon who escaped my trap. I don't know how you escaped, but if you don't want to turn out like your mom, you'll come with me with no problems." Said the unknown voice. I crept carefully to the entrance and looked inside, being followed by Abby. What I saw made me feel sick. Mitsuki laid on the ground, her legs were spread wide, and she was laying in a puddle of fluid that seemed to leak from between her legs. On the other side of the cave, Hikage was being

Cornered by a big bald man. With a sudden burst of anger, I blacked out. When everything came back into focus, Abby was looking at me with a mixture of shock and horror. The man was now laying on the ground, my hands covered in blood. I shook off the fear and disgust and ran over to Mitsuki. "H-hey, Mitsuki, your going to be ok, we'll get you to the pokécenter, I promise." I said, quickly running outside and using my pokégear to call the pokécenter. It rang twice before Nurse Joy answered. Before she could say anything, I cut her off. "Nurse Joy, I need you to come immediately, and bring Officer Jenny!" I said, seeing her face turn grim. I left the pokégear on the ground still on, so they could track my location. I ran inside the cave and sat next to Mitsuki. When I sat down, I could see that her eyes were dazed, but open. She slowly turned her head and looked at me. "H-he came out of nowhere, he was hiding in the cave. H-he raped me!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. I pulled Abby aside for a few seconds. "Abby, I need you to do something for me. Can you clean Mitsuki... down there?" I asked, handing her some paper towels from my bag. "I need to get Hikage out of here and flag down Officer Jenny." I said. When she nodded, I picked up Hikage and brought him outside with him on my shoulder. As we waited for any sign of help, he turned and tapped me. "Mr. Void, what's wrong with mom?" He asked, his eyes full of worry. I couldn't help but feel bad for him,

Having to witness someone do something like that to his mom. "W-well, that man did something very bad." I said, trying to be as vague as possible. He looked at me with innocence in his eyes. "Will he do it again?" He asked, a hint of fear in his voice. I thought back to the image of the man laying on the ground, his life ebbing away as he bled out. I slowly shook my head. "No Hikage, I don't think he will bother anyone ever again." I said, ruffling his head fur, causing him to giggle. "Oh, and Hikage, don't worry about calling me Mr. Void, you can call me Void." I said, earning a smile. A few minutes later, the sound of sirens blared through the quiet woods, and a police vehicle pulled up next to us. When the car came to a full stop, a woman with long green hair stepped out and walked over to us. "Hello, you must be Void, I'm Jenny." She said, shaking my hand. "Now, Joy said you had a big emergency." She said, following me as I lead her into the cave. Her eyes widened when she saw what had happened. "Oh Arceus, what happened?!" She asked looking around. "W-well, the man over there raped Mitsuki." I said, pointing to the Zoroark on the floor. As soon as she saw Mitsuki, she immediately took off her coat and wrapped it around her, picking her up and placing her in the cop car. I followed Jenny, placing Hikage near his mom, where they snuggled up together. After making sure they were ok, she pulled me back into the cave where Abby was waiting, and started to question me. "So you saw the man rape Mitsuki?" She asked, pulling out a small notepad and a pencil. I shook my head. "N-no, I saw him cornering her son. She was laying on the ground, half conscious." I said, causing her to write something down. After a few seconds, she stopped writing and looked at me.

"Ok, what about the man, what happened to him?" She asked, looking at his broken body. I didn't answer right away, staring down at the cave floor. "Void, if you keep things from me, I won't be able to help you." She said, looking at me sternly. I sighed deeply, looking up at her. "I-I don't know..." I said quietly. Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly put her notepad away. "What do you mean, you don't know?" She asked slowly. I shook my head. "W-well, one moment I was looking into the cave, the next thing I know, I blacked out. When I came to again, I-I was covered in blood, and he was laying on the ground." I said, my eyes reflecting my confusion. Jenny just looked at me, as if judging me. "I'm just going to say that you were protecting Mitsuki, but when we get to the pokécenter, I want Joy to have a look, it's to my understanding that you have been in an accident that was life threatening, this could be an indication that something is wrong." She said, taking her notepad out again and jotting down a quick note, before leading me and Abby back to the car, making a quick call over the radio for a coroner to pick up the body for identification. Me and Abby sat in the back of the car next to the sleeping Mitsuki and Hikage.

Jenny started the car, and began to drive back to the pokécenter. "Don't worry Void, when we get back, I'll call my husband to take a look at Mitsuki, he's very skilled in situations like this." She said, giving me a calming smile. The rest of the car ride went by quietly, save for Hikage's light snoring. When we got back, Abby and I carried him and Mitsuki inside, setting them on the gurney that Niomi brought over, leaving Jenny to call her husband. After telling Joy about what happened, she ran a few tests on me, consisting of a few blood samples and x-rays. "We won't be able to see the results until tomorrow, so why don't you go and rest in bed." She said, taking the blood samples to her office to study. When I got back to my room, Abby quickly pulled me aside. "V-Void, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked, looking me in the eyes. I could sense her worry and confusion. "Sure, but what about?" I asked, starting to feel confused as well. "I-it's about earlier, when you blacked out." She stammered. Looking around, I spotted Rose sleeping on the bed, so I brought Abby into the hallway. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" I asked, looking at her worriedly. "N-no, I don't know how, but y-you somehow used Power up Punch..." She said in confusion.

 **I am so sorry about this chapter, it became way more dark than I intended. I don't normally write about this kind of stuff, but for some reason, this scenario kept coming to mind until I had to put it on paper. This even bothered me to be honest. Don't worry, I won't write like that very often, but if I do, I will always put a warning at the beginning.**

 **~spudbud16**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 _Void's POV_

I blinked a few times, not understanding what Abby was talking about, but by the way she was acting, I had a feeling it was bad. "Power up Punch...? What is a Power up Punch?" I asked, feeling confused. She took a deep breathe, trying to calm herself down. "Well, you see Void, a Power up Punch is a move that can be learned by pokemon. Every time said pokemon uses this move, their attack goes up. I'm really worried now that you are able to use it." She said, bringing me into a hug, resting her chin on my shoulder. I was silent for a few seconds, before I remembered something. "What's the problem, have you forgotten that I'm half Lucario? Shouldn't being able to use pokemon moves be somewhat expected?" I asked, looking at her in ever growing confusion. She shook her head, still looking worried. "That's the thing, even being half pokemon, your human half should have kept you from using moves. Something's not right." She said, her voice quivering due to her nerves. I gulped, starting to understand her panicking. "I think I know who can explain what's going on." I said, feeling the weight of the situation like a boulder being balanced on my back. She gave me an inquisitive look. "Who, Void?" She asked, looking up at me. I remained silent for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not Arceus would mind if I told Abby about communicating with her. After awhile, I shook my head.

"N-never mind, I was just thinking out loud." I said, not looking her in the eyes. For a second, Abby looked sad and hurt, then her features straightened and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" She asked, smiling softly. I placed my hand over hers, and returned the smile. "I know, there's just some times I can't say what I want to." I said, leaning in and giving her a kiss. When we separated from the kiss, She was blushing deeply. "We haven't done that in awhile." She said, her eyes slowly opening again. I smiled, walking back into our room, her leaning against me. I untucked the sheets, allowing Abby to slide underneath, then I slid next to her, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her close to me so her back rested against my chest. "Goodnight Abby, see you in the morning." I said, laying a small kiss on her cheek, earning a quiet pur from her. "Goodnight, Void." She mumbled, slipping off to sleep. With a silent prayer, I let my eyes close, her steady breathing lulling me to sleep.

After what seemed to be only a few seconds, I opened my eyes and looked around, realizing I was no longer in bed. "Hello again, Void." A voice from behind me made me jump. Slowly turning around, I saw Arceus, sitting on her marble throne. Taking a few deep breathes, I slowed my heart beat. "Why are you acting so shocked to see me, Void, didn't I tell you I say I would answer if you prayed?" She asked, looking very confused by my reaction. I slowly nodded, bowing to her to show no disrespect. "Y-yes, sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to answer so fast!" I said, only to hear her chuckle. "Well, what can I do for you, Void?" She asked, looking at me with a smile. I took a deep breathe, looking at her. "Apparently, I somehow used Power up Punch, which according to Abby, should be impossible." I said, noticing her features change from a smile to a frown, her looking as if she was deep in thought.

"I'm afraid she is correct, Void. You shouldn't be able to use any pokemon moves, your human side should have kicked in, blocking your pokemon side from using anything of the sort. Tell me, did anything happen when you used the move?" She asked, looking at me questioningly. I nodded, thinking back to when I had saw the man in the cave, attacking Mitsuki and Hikage.

"I think so, but I don't know if it was because of my incompatibility with pokemon moves, or if it was my anger, but I blacked out when I supposedly used Power up Punch, is that what you mean?" I asked, as she thought for a few seconds. "Yes, that sounds a lot like you overloaded your mind when you used the move." She said, nodding her head. "I have an idea of what might be going on, but I need to check first." She said, her eyes giving off a bluish green glow that dimmed after a few seconds. Arceus frowned, looking at me for a few seconds, then began speaking.

"Well Void, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you are fine, using Power up Punch didn't cause any negative effects." She said, making me sigh with relief. Then I remembered that there was still more. "W-what about the bad news?" I asked, nervously clearing my throat. When I looked up at her face, I saw sadness and weariness on her features. She silently sat there for a few minutes, then took a deep breathe.

"Do you remember when I was able to give you more time to return to Abby and your friends?" She asked, looking at me with a bit of pity. I looked at her and nodded, wondering what could be so bad about me going back. She looked away for a few moments, then turned back. "Well, the power I used was something I have never tried before. I expected there to be _some_ side effects, but nothing like... this." She said, catching my attention as I looked at her expecting her to continue. When she said nothing else, I spoke up. "What do you mean by that, is something wrong?" I asked, starting to feel worried. After a few seconds, she sighed. "The power I used to keep your body in a sort of stasis seems to have spliced your DNA. From what I can see, I may have accidentally combined some of your Lucario and human DNA. Being more Lucario would explain how you used Power up Punch." Arceus said, making my breathe catch in my throat and causing me to choke for a few seconds. She looked away, not meeting my eyes. After a few minutes of silence, she looked at me sadly. "I didn't mean for this to happen." She said, causing me to sigh. "Why didn't you tell me that what you tried was experimental?! Don't you think that's something I should of been told about?" I asked, looking at her in disbelief. She only sat on her throne, looking at reflections in the Pool of Beginnings. Slowly, she turned away from the pool.

"You never really asked." She said, a hint of sorrow in her voice. I looked at her incredulously, but before I could speak, she cut me off. "I know, I still should have warned you, but you seemed so happy to be going back, I didn't want you to doubt whether or not it would work. You would have been nervous about returning. This is one reason why I hardly have contact with humans, no matter what I do, I always upset someone." She said, her attention once again focusing on the water in front of her throne. I was silent for awhile, watching her with my anger dissipating. With a deep breathe, I began to speak once again. "F-forget it, it's all in the past, but I do have one question, does this mean I will be turning into a Lucario?" I asked, dreading the answer. Arceus shook her head. "No Void, but you may want to keep in mind, Power up Punch isn't the only move Lucarios can use." She said, keeping her answer somewhat cryptic.

"I have to send you back now, it's morning, and you'll have some important company soon. Is there anything else I can do for you before I send you back?" She asked, opening a small portal like last time. I thought for a few seconds, before the question I was wondering about came to mind. "J-just one thing. Am I able to tell the others about these meetings, or should I keep them secret?" I asked, feeling bad about keeping secrets from Abby. Arceus seemed to mull it over for a few seconds, looking nervous, before nodding. "I don't see any problem with that, but be careful, make sure you fully trust who you tell, as having contact with me can put you in a lot of danger." She said, a serious look on her face. I nodded, walking towards the rift, turning around at the last second and looking her in the eyes. "Thanks again for helping me, I really appreciate it." I said, smiling and walking through the small rift, opening my eyes to the ceiling of the pokécenter room. I laid there for a few minutes, enjoying being so close to Abby. After a few seconds, I sat up and shook her awake.

Abby jumped up, her eyes wild and her breathing heavy, she looked around, as if to find some invisible enemy. After a few minutes of calming down, her gaze fell on me and softened. "W-what is it Void, did something happen?" She asked, looking at the bedside clock, looking confused when she saw it was only four thirty in the morning. I looked back at her, trying to compose my thoughts. After mulling it over for awhile, I decided that I would only tell Abby, Rose, and Mitsuki about my meetings with Arceus. Taking a deep breathe, I began to speak.

"Abby, do you remember the conversation we had last night, where I said there were some things I just couldn't tell you?" I asked, my voice quiet. She nodded, looking at me expectantly. I took another deep breathe, then continued. "Remember when I said I knew who could help me with my strange ability to use a pokemon move? I have been having meetings with Arceus. So far, I have only seen her twice. Last night, she told me what's happening." I said, stopping when I saw her face of disappointed. "You know, I get that you don't want to tell me, but you don't have to lie to me. I was hoping you would at least tell me the truth!" She said, starting to walk away. Placing my hand on her shoulder, I turned her towards me.

"I'm being completely honest, why won't you believe me?" I asked, looking at her, feeling hurt that my own girlfriend wouldn't even believe me. "Fine, even though I'm telling the truth, you don't have to believe me, but can you at least trust me? After all, before this journey started, you told me that no matter what I did, I would always have your trust." I said, looking her in her eyes. Abby stared at me for awhile, seemingly thinking about it, before her gaze softened. "Ok Void, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, what did she say was happening to cause you to be able to use Power up Punch?" She asked, still looking skeptical. I sighed, still upset that she didn't believe me.

"She told me that when she sent my spirit back to my body, the power she used was something entirely new. While it worked, it spliced my DNA to the point where I am now even more Lucario then before. She also said that Power up Punch might not be the only power I can use." I said, before noticing her slowly shaking her head. "I'm sorry Void, but you can see how unbelievable that sounds, right? In any case, Nurse Joy took some tests on you, so let's go see if what you say is true." She said, walking towards the door. "Wait, before I woke up, Arceus told me that I'll be getting some important company." I said, rubbing away the sleep that was still under my eyes. Abby looked as if she was about to say something, but before she could, there was a knock on the door, causing her to look at me in shock. Looking at her, I gave her a smirk. "So, believe me now?" I asked, getting up and answering the door.

Opening the door, I saw Officer Jenny standing there. When she saw me, she smiled and tipped her hat. "I'm sorry to wake you up so early, my husband just arrived, I thought you would want to be there to oversee the examination of your Zoroark. He's about to start." She said,starting to walk down the hall. I shook my head, looking at her in shock. "N-no, Mitsuki isn't part of my team, she's the mother of the Zorua we found caught in the poacher's trap, but I definitely want to be there to see if she's ok." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. Officer Jenny just nodded, continuing to walk. After a few seconds, she started talking again. "So, Joy told me a lot about you, is it true you're part Lucario?" She asked, no hint of malice in her voice. When I didn't answer, she smirked. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." She said, chuckling at the look of worry on my face.

"Y-yes, but doesn't that bother you? I thought cops didn't like that kind of stuff." I said, shocked by how willing she was to accept that my mother was a pokephile. She gave me a knowing look, as if she knew what I was thinking. "What, do you mean pokephillia? To be honest, it's actually legal. We've just received so many cases like Mitsuki's that it's not the most popular thing with the police department. In my opinion, if it's consensual like the love you and Abby have, people shouldn't be punished." She said, giving me and Abby a smile. I blushed, realizing that we had been caught.

Arriving at Mitsuki's room, I noticed a man with brown spiked up hair. His eyes looked to be closed, and he looked like he had been at the beach. When I walked into the room, Mitsuki waved at me, causing the man to look up from the clipboard he was holding. He walked over to me, setting the clipboard on a desk. "Hello, you must be the boy who stopped that man in the cave. I'm Brock, I'm here to give Mitsuki here a checkup to see if anything came from what happened to her." He said quietly, holding out his hand. I nodded, shaking his hand and introducing myself. "Hello Brock, I'm Void, if you need any help, let me know, Mitsuki's a little untrusting of humans." I said, giving him a smile. He nodded and smiled back. "In that case, can you please try to keep her calm while I use the ultrasound on her?" He asked, grabbing the device when I agreed.

I walked over and stood next to Mitsuki's bed, smiling at her when she looked over to me. She looked back over to Brock, her eyes going wide with nervousness when she saw him holding the ultrasound device. "W-what's that thing?" She asked, looking back at me and shuffling away from him. I lightly placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "That's an ultrasound, he's just going to take an X-Ray of your stomach to make sure you're ok." I said, noticing her start to calm down. She took a deep breathe, then scoot back over to the center of the bed. "O-ok, but will it hurt?" She asked, starting to whimper as the doctor got closer. I shook my head, smiling at her. "Of course not, you have nothing to worry about. I'm right here, so don't worry." I said, as Mitsuki finally allowed Brock to use the ultrasound. He put a small glob of gel on her stomach, causing her to jump, then sigh and relax as he rubbed it in using the device. He continued to slide it around her stomach for a few minutes, watching the screen next to her bed, then he removed the device and wiped off her stomach.

"Well, I don't see any signs of pregnancy, but since it's still pretty early, I would highly suggest you take one of these pills." Brock said, reaching into his bag and taking out a small box, opening it up and taking out a small white tablet. Before he could hand it to her, I interrupted him. "Hold on, before you hand Mitsuki some random pill, please tell me what it is." I said, looking at him expectantly. "I'm glad that you are so protective of her, no matter who I am. That shows how much you care. To answer your question, this is a morning after pill, it's designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. There may not be anything showing up on the ultrasound now, but like I said, it's still pretty early, this is just a precaution." He said, once again holding out the pill for Mitsuki. I grabbed a cup from her bedside desk and filled it with water. Taking a sip, she then popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed it, shuddering slightly at the taste.

After Mitsuki took the pill, Brock pulled me aside. "Void, there's nothing else I can do for her, so I'm going to head out. Make sure she takes it easy for these next couple days, no strenuous activities for her for at least the next two days." He said, before picking up his bag and heading out the door. I stood there for a few seconds, watching Mitsuki get comfortable before an idea came to mind, and I quickly turned to Abby. "Hey Abby, I want to talk to Mitsuki for a minute, why don't you ask Nurse Joy about my results. Just don't say anything about Arceus, I was told to be careful who I told." I said to her, causing her to sigh and roll her eyes before walking off. When she left, I walked over to the side of Mitsuki's bed, and she smiled at me. "Thank you again for being there for me, I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up." She said, slowly sitting up and hugging me. I took a deep breathe and prepared for what I was about to say.

"Mitsuki, I know you don't really trust humans after what happened with your old trainer, but I have a proposition for you. How would you like to come with me, Abby, and Rose on our journey?" I asked, waiting intently for her answer. Her eyes went wide, but a couple seconds later, she sadly shook her head, causing me to frown. "I'm sorry Void, you've already done so much already, I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality and become a burden." She said, looking away from me.

"You will NEVER be a burden, Mitsuki. Don't you talk like that!" A voice from the doorway said, causing both me and her to jump. When I looked to see who was there, Rose walked in and hopped onto the bed. I nodded, petting her head. "I agree, I would love it if you and Hikage would come with us, and I promise, if you came with us, I would make sure you had food, shelter, and the safety you deserve." I said, smiling at her. "I would also love it if you came with us. If you're worried about Hikage, I could help you take care of him!" She said, blushing furiously at the mention of Hikage. Noticing the blush, I looked at Mitsuki, seeing her smirking at Rose. I cleared my throat and turned to her. "hey Mitsuki, we'll be right back, I have to talk to Rose for a second!" I said, bringing her into the hallway and closing the door.

"Rose, why are you blushing so hard... did something happen between you and Hikage?" I asked, giving her a smirk. She only blushed more. "W-well, shortly after you and Abby fell asleep, I went in to check on Hikage, and noticed him crying. I went and asked him what was wrong, and he told me what happened to Mitsuki, so I gave him a hug. Well, one thing lead to another, and I may have kissed him. Sure it was only on the forehead, but Void, I think I may be falling for him!" She said, still blushing. I looked at her for a few minutes, then sighed loudly. "If it was up to me,I would say congratulations and good luck, but it's not up to me. You have to talk to Mitsuki and get her permission." I said, opening the door and entering the room, Rose right behind me. We both sat on the bed. "Mitsuki, Rose has something she wants to ask you." I said, getting her attention.

 _Rose's POV_

I fidgeted nervously, sitting on the bed not looking at Mitsuki. After awhile of sitting there not saying anything, she cleared her throat and gave me a smile. "What is it Rose, what did you want to ask me?" She asked, slowly sitting up and scooting over next to me. I looked at her, taking a deep breathe. "I-I really like your son. I know you don't really know me that well, but I was wondering if I could get your permission to be with him." I said nervously, before noticing her smile start to fade, causing my mood to plummet. She gave me a hard, calculating look, seemingly in deep thought. We sat there for a few long silent minutes, each one making me lose more and more hope. After a couple more minutes, she finally broke the silence.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is it about Hikage that made you fall for him?" She asked, looking me in the eyes. I sat there for a few seconds, relieved that she was at least giving me a chance to explain myself. "H-he has everything I would look for in someone to be with. A good personality, a kind heart, extremely caring." I said, blushing more and more as I listed off his traits. Mitsuki nodded, looking thoughtful. "Would you be there for him, even if I was one day not?" She asked, looking questioningly at me. I nodded, looking her straight in the eyes. "Of course, I would always be there for him, no matter what." I said, smiling softly. She looked satisfied, smiling kindly at me. "Well, if that's the case, I don't see any reason to say no, but keep in mind, if you do anything to upset or hurt Hikage, you'll have me to deal with me!" She said, giving me a hard stare. "T-thank you! I promise you won't regret it!" I said, giving her a hug, then running off, heading for Hikage's room, leaving Mitsuki and Void shocked.

 _Void's POV_

I sat on the bed in silence for a few minutes, sitting next to Mitsuki and reflecting on what just happened. A couple seconds later, I turned to her. "Thanks for giving her a chance, it means a lot to me to see her this happy." I said, giving her a smile. She just shook her head, looking away. "No problem Void, but is that the reason you wanted me and Hikage to come along with you?" She asked, a note of uncertainty in her voice, as well as a frown. I looked at her for a few seconds. "Of course not, to be honest, I had no idea Rose felt like that about him. I wanted you both to come along with us because I wanted you to know that you aren't alone. I can't stand to see anyone go through what you and Hikage have, and I would do anything to see you both live a happy life!" I said, wiping away some of her tears.

She smiled, wrapping me in a tight hug. "T-thank you Void, but can I have time to think about it?" She asked, sniffling slightly as I gently pat her back. I slowly stood up, being released from the hug. "Sure Mitsuki, take as long as you need, and whatever your answer is, I'll understand." I said, walking out the door, giving her one last smile before shutting the door. As I exited the room and walked towards the lobby, I passed Hikage's room and peeked inside, seeing him and Rose snuggled together, asleep. Smiling to myself, I closed the door and continued on my way, looking for Abby. When I arrived at the lobby, I saw her sitting near the window, her back turned towards me as she looked outside, watching the people go by.

I made my way over, sitting next to her. When I sat down, she looked at me and pulled me into a hug with a few tears in her eyes, a look of fear and worry on her face. Seeing her in so much distress, I wrapped my arms around her and rocked her back and forth. "What's wrong Abby, why do you look so sad?" I asked, wiping away her tears, causing her to nuzzle into my shoulder. A few seconds later, she looked back at me. "Y-you were right, Nurse Joy showed me your results, and it looks like your DNA really did get spliced, and if you were right about that, you must really have been telling the truth about talking to Arceus." She said, more tears falling from her eyes. I looked at her confusedly. "So? She said that there were no negative effects, so why are you so sad?" I asked, not understanding the problem. She looked at me, the sadness still present. "I-I'm worried about you. The fact that you can talk to her whenever you want scares me, it reminds me that you could die at anytime, and I would never see you again." She said, breaking down again.

I looked at her, my eyes going wide. "What are you talking about, I'm not going anywhere, not if I have anything to do with it!" I said, hugging her tighter. She sighed, melting into the hug. "Now Abby, like I said earlier, Arceus told me to expect being able to use more then just Power up Punch, could you try to teach me some more moves?" I asked, smiling at her when she looked at me. She nodded, giving me a small smile back. "S-sure, but when would you want to start?" She asked, wiping away her remaining tears. I hugged her once again, making her smile and blush slightly. "How about we start the training tomorrow, I have to go into the city for a little bit, I'll be back." I said, taking her away from the window and giving her a kiss, shocking her. "See you when I get back!" I said, walking out the front door, leaving her standing there with a bright blush.

After walking a fair distance from the pokécenter, I stopped walking and opened my bag, taking out the crystal that Mitsuki had given to me for Abby. I decided to get it made into a necklace for Abby to wear, thinking it would look beautiful on her. Placing it back in my bag, I looked around the city for a jeweler. Walking around for nearly an hour and still not getting anywhere, I decided to ask for directions. Seeing a blonde haired woman sitting on a bench, I walked up to her. "Excuse me, but do you know if there's a jeweler in Hearthome, I've been searching for the last hour, but I can't find one, in fact, I can't seem to find a lot here." I said, giving an annoyed sigh. The woman stood up, smiling at me. "Sure, there's a jewelry store farther in the city, I could take you there if you want. My name is Christa by the way, nice to meet you." She said, holding out her hand and shaking mine.

"Thank you Christa, my name is Void. I'm sorry to bother you, I'm still pretty new to Hearthome, so I have hardly any idea where anything is." I said, following her as she headed down the road. "Oh? Where did you grow up then, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked, looking at me inquisitively. I gave her a smile, shaking my head. "I don't mind, I was born and raised in Emeragrove Town, I just started my journey a few days ago." I said, continuing to follow her as she lead me to the jewelry store. "So, what's the occasion? I mean, people don't normally go to jewelers for no reason." She said, smirking at me when my face turned a deep crimson color.

Reaching into my bag, I gently pulled the crystal out and held it in my hands. "I-I wanted to turn this into a necklace for my girlfriend." I said, causing Christa to turn her head to see what I had. When she saw the crystal, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "W-where did you get this, it's beautiful! Are you sure you want to get this cut into a necklace?!" She asked, holding it in her hands when I handed it to her to look at. She handed it back to me, and I put it back in my bag. "A friend found it in a cave and gave it to me to give to my girlfriend." I said, not exactly lying. "I agree, it's beautiful, but I think it would look even better as a necklace, as it would definitely compliment her beauty." I said, my blush still ever present. She smiled as we turned on to another road, arriving at a small, quaint building with a neon sign saying 'Chimecho Jewelers' in blue letters. "Well, here we are. You know, your girlfriend must be really lucky to have someone who would get jewelry made just for her." She said, wishing me luck before walking away.

I made my way into the shop, a Chimecho calling out a greeting near the door as it opened. Smiling at it, I walked over to the front desk, where a short looking man with a friendly face sat. "Greetings, welcome to Chimecho Jewelers, would you be interested in buying any of our jewelry? We have a fine selection of rings, necklaces, bracelets, and watches, all at very affordable prices." He said, smiling and showing some of their jewelry. I smiled, but shook my head. "Not today, but I would like to get a necklace custom made for my girlfriend, if that's ok." I said, watching the man put away the jewelry. "Sure, do you have the material you want made into the necklace?" He asked, waiting as I opened my bag and gave him the crystal. His reaction was much the same as Christa's. He looked at the crystal for a few seconds, then looked back at me. "I-I haven't seen diamond this pristine in years, are you sure you don't want to just sell it, I could give you big money for it!" He said, looking shocked.

"W-wait, diamond?! I thought it was just crystal!" I said, but then I sighed. "As much as the idea of money excites me, I think it would look beautiful on my girlfriend as a necklace." I said, causing him to nod. "As much as I hate cutting up such a beautiful diamond, it's my job. I'll start right now!" He said, taking the diamond into a back room. As the man went into the room and closed the door, I sat in a chair near the door and the Chimecho. I sat there for a few minutes, before my eyes grew heavy. I laid my head back and closed my eyes, deciding to sleep off the wait. I slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to the soft chiming noise the Chimecho was making.

I was awoken by a soft poke to my shoulder. "N-no Abby, I don't want to get up yet, five more minutes..." I said, trying to go back to sleep, but another poke made me open one eye, only to see that I was still in the jewelry store, and the man from before was standing in front of me. Slowly sitting up, I started to stretch, enjoying the warmth my scarf was giving me, only to stop when I realized that I didn't have a scarf. Seeming to pick up on my confusion, the man gave a small chuckle. "You know, in all my years as owner of this place, I have never once seen that Chimecho so comfortable around anybody!" He said, reaching out to rub it's head, only for it to shy away from him, peaking out at him from behind my shoulder. I looked at him in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean by _that_ Chimecho, doesn't it belong to you?" I asked, looking between him and the Chimecho, but the man only shook his head.

"No, she's been here since I bought the place. I let her roam around here, since I technically stole her home. I even named this shop after her, but no matter what I do, she doesn't trust me, as you can see." He said, sighing as a sad look flickered in his eyes for a few seconds, but it was gone in a flash. "Anyways I finished making the necklace, I used half of the diamond on it, the rest is right here." He said, walking behind the front desk and picking up a small felt bag and handing it if me. I looked inside, only to see a big chunk of the diamond still left. "Thank you Mr..." I started to say, before I realized that I had never learned his name. "Jones, Jones Rockwell" He said, shaking my hand with a smile. I smiled back. "Well, thank you Mr. Rockwell, I'm Void, but where's the necklace you made?" I asked, looking at him questioningly. His eyes widened and he ran behind the desk. "Oh, of course, it's right here, is this to your liking?" He asked, handing me a silver keychain with a beautifully carved diamond in the center in the shape of a heart, which was surrounded by smaller diamonds died blue. I looked at the necklace, entranced by it's beauty, and couldn't help but imagine how cute Abby would look wearing it.

"I-it's amazing, but can I make one more request?" I asked, looking up at him. He looked slightly confused. "Sure, what is it Void?" He asked as I handed it back to him. "Can you engrave the name 'Abby' into the back?" I asked, causing him to smile. "I can do that. Is Abby your girlfriend?" He asked, looking at me with a smile. I nodded, smiling back. He took the necklace into the backroom, coming out five minutes later and handing me the finished necklace. "Thank you Mr Rockwell, so how much is this going to come out to." I asked, pulling out my wallet. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "Well, a request like yours would originally cost around 800 pokédollars, but I have a favor to ask you." He said, causing my eyes to go wide at the price. "W-what's the favor, because I don't have that kind of money!" I said, starting to sweat. He looked at me and the Chimecho for a few seconds. "I can see that Chimecho really trusts you. If you could possibly take her with you on your travels as one of your pokemon, I'd be willing to wave the cost. I feel bad keeping her with me if she doesn't even trust me." He said, once again looking sad.

Before I could say anything, Chimecho launched herself into the air, flying around me, chiming with excitement. I chuckled, smiling at her antics. "It looks like she's already made up my mind for me." I said, shaking Rockwell's hand. He smiled, placing the necklace into a small white box with an etching of a Chimecho on the front, then wrapping it in wrapping paper before handing it to me. "Thank you Void, I'm glad she's going to be traveling instead of being cooped up in here." He said, waving goodbye to me and Chimecho as I walked out, Chimecho wrapped lightly around my neck. As I walked, she gave a little squeal. "Oh this is going to be so much fun, I wonder what we'll do first!" She said to herself, her voice sounding like it belonged to a kid. I chuckled, smiling. "Well, first we need to go to the pokécenter, as we are getting ready to start the real journey." I said, causing her to jump, slightly tightening around my neck.

"Y-you can understand me? How are you able to hear me?!" She asked, looking at me in shock. I pointed at my neck, as she was unintentionally cutting off my oxygen supply. She quickly let go, apologizing. After taking a few deep breathes, I started to answer her. "W-well, there are two reasons I can. First of all, now that you're part of the team, I think you should know a major fact about me, I'm part Lucario. Finally, understanding pokemon apparently runs in the family." I said, as the Chimecho listened. "While we're on the topic of understanding each other, what's your name? I don't want to have to call you 'Chimecho' every time I talk to you, it doesn't seem right." I said, giving her a smile. She thought for a few seconds, then gave me a sad look. "I don't have a name. I've been by myself for so long, I never really needed one." She said, a frown on her face.

"Well, how would you like it if I gave you one?" I asked, seeing her perk up slightly at my offer. She smiled at me, her eyes full of hope. "I-I would love to have a name, what did you have in mind?" She asked, looking excited at the chance to get her own name. I looked at her, trying to get inspiration for her name. "Hmmm, what about... Kazumi!" I said, snapping my fingers as the name came to mind. I looked at her, only to see a blank look on her face. "W-what does it mean?" She asked, looking at me in confusion. I smiled at her, rubbing her head while she was wrapped around my neck. "It's a name that I feel fits you very well. It's Japanese, it translates to 'Harmony'." I said, causing her to squeal and smile. "I love it! Thank you Void!" She said, giving a small twirl in the air, causing me to laugh.

"So Kazumi, why didn't you trust Mr. Rockwell, he seemed like a pretty nice person." I said, noticing her suddenly look very subdued. "That old rundown building was my home. The one place I could be alone and sing freely. I felt safe there. Then came the day he opened his business there. I was fine with it at first, but then he started changing the whole place. Soon after that, many people started coming in day after day. Sure I helped greet the customers, however with each and every new customer, I lost hope that I would ever truly have someplace to myself. I know I could have left to find a new place, but that was the only place I knew." She said, sighing sadly as she replayed that memory for me. I sat there silently listening to her story. Sometimes I hated my ability to understand pokemon, as everyone I talked to seemed to have some kind of traumatic event in there life. Sometimes I wished that I could just be normal, but the thought of not being able to understand Abby or my friends made me reconsider that wish.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. From what Mr. Rockwell told me, he never meant to take your home away from you. He even named the place after you." I said, causing her to snuggle into my neck even more and wipe away her tears with her tail. "I'm sorry for being a disappointment, I'm sure you were hoping for a strong pokemon who can battle and be tough, but that's not me." She said with a sad voice, suddenly going quiet. I looked at her in disbelief, not believing my ears. "Hey, you're not a disappointment! I didn't agree to let you come along because I wanted you to fight, I let you come along with me because of how excited you were to. If you wanted to help me in battles, that's cool, but if you didn't, I would be fine with that! You don't have to be strong and battle savvy to be part of our team, you just have to want to join! So don't let me ever hear you talk down about yourself." I said, going into a rant. When I finally took a breathe, I heard a small sniffle from her. "T-thank you." She said, sighing and closing her eyes, snuggling into my nape and falling asleep with a small smile.

We had been walking for what seemed like hours when we arrived back at the pokécenter, Kazumi still fast asleep. I gently tapped her head. She slowly opened her eyes, letting out an adorably squeaky yawn, causing me to chuckle, before yawning as well. She looked around, trying to see what was going on. "W-what is it? Where are we?" She asked, looking at me with her bright yellow eyes questioningly. "Sorry to wake you up, but we're at the pokécenter and there's some people I want you to meat." I said, rubbing her head, gaining a contented sigh. When she nodded, showing that she was ready, I walked up to the front door and walked inside. As soon as we entered, Nurse Joy waved me over. I walked over to her and she handed me a sheet of paper. "Hey Void, Greg wanted me to give this to you. I don't know what happened, but he had all his bags packed." She said. I unfolded the paper, seeing that it was a note.

 _Dear Void,_

 _I'm sorry for leaving so unannounced, but there have been so many accidents over the last couple of days that I thought it best if me and Hikari went on our own journey. I also wanted to thank you again for the PokéTranslator, as it has brought me and Hikari closer together. We wish you luck on the rest of your journey, and if you ever want to talk or battle, I've added my pokégear number to the bottom of this page. Hope to see you later._

 _~Greg_

As I finished reading the note, Kazumi leaned over my shoulder trying to read it too, catching the attention of Nurse Joy, who quickly made her way around her desk when she saw her. "Aww, aren't you that cutie over at 'Chimecho Jewelers'? What are you doing here, are you hurt?" She asked, looking closely at her. When Nurse Joy got close, Kazumi hid behind my neck, peaking out at her. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Joy said, looking at me questioningly. Taking a deep breathe, I started to explain.

"It's not your fault Nurse Joy, you're right about her being from 'Chimecho Jewelers' though. This is Kazumi, she used to live in the building before Mr. Rockwell turned it into his store, she didn't trust him very much, so he asked me to take her with me on my journey." I said, smiling at her and nudging her towards Joy. "Come on, Nurse Joy's one of the nicest people you could ever meet, give her a chance." I said, giving her a reassuring smile. Kazumi looked at her, then back to me. "Are you sure she's nice?" She asked, looking at me with fear. Nurse Joy shuffled a little closer. "Aww, of course I'm nice, I wouldn't hurt anyone if I could help it." She said, her eyes showing nothing but kindness. Kazumi looked shocked for a few seconds, looking right at her. "Wait, y-you can understand me to?!" She said, floating closer to her.

"Yes Kazumi, I can understand you, just not the way Void can do it. I'm using a device called a PokéTranslator, it allows me to hear what you're saying." She said, smiling sweetly at her. Kazumi floated even closer, now floating in front of her. "S-so you won't hurt me?" She asked, still looking quite nervous. Nurse Joy didn't answer, she just slowly reached her hand out and gently started petting her head, causing her to start to relax. "So Void, what were you doing at the jewelry store in the first place?" She asked, still petting Kazumi. I looked around, making sure Abby wasn't around, then held up the box wrapped in wrapping paper. Nurse Joy looked at it in interest, moving on to pet Kazumi's stomach, making the pokemon giggle. "Ooh, what did you get her" She asked, her eyes full of mischievousness. I smiled, putting the box back in my bag with a smirk. "You'll just have to wait until she shows you." I said, sticking my tongue out at her. "Come on Kazumi, we still have to introduce you to the others." I said, getting a disappointed sigh from her, as she floated out of Joy's reach. "Boo, you're no fun!" Nurse Joy said, pouting at me as I refused to tell her what I got Abby. "That's not what Abby says" I said, chuckling as we left the lobby and headed for Mitsuki's room, Kazumi on her usual spot behind my neck.

As we walked, Kazumi gave a contented sigh. "Are the others as fun as Nurse Joy was?" She asked, cuddling up to my nape again. "Well, I'm not sure about that, but they are just as nice!" I said, giving her a smile as we came to the door to Mitsuki's room. Knocking on the door, I entered when she said I could. "Hey Mitsuki! How are you feeling?" I asked, sitting beside her on the bed. "I've been better, my legs feel as stiff as a board from not moving them." She said, flinching when she tried to move them. I was about to offer to help her when the sound of a ringing bell filled the room. When it stopped, Mitsuki looked shocked. "M-my legs, they're no longer stiff, W-what happened?" She asked, looking around. I had an idea of what happened, but before I could say anything, a small cough came from behind me, startling Mitsuki. "W-who's there?!" She asked, trying to see behind me. Kazumi slowly floated out from behind me, looking very tired all of a sudden. "Kazumi, are you ok? What's wrong?" I asked, becoming concerned. "I-I'm fine, just a little tired." She said, her floating becoming a little shaky. "Was that you, did you fix my legs?" Mitsuki asked, also looking concerned. Kazumi simply nodded, landing in her lap and curling up, falling asleep.

Mitsuki looked up at me, her eyes brimming with the compassion of a mother caring for her child. "W-who is this? She's so precious!" She said, gently petting her head, causing the little Chimecho to smile in her sleep and cuddle closer in her lap, causing her heart to melt. Mitsuki looked up once again, begging for an explanation. I sighed, then started to tell her what happened. "This is Kazumi, in a way, she lost her home. She was living in a old rundown building before. She said it was the one place she could be alone and sing. One day, a man by the name of Jones Rockwell bought the place and converted it into a jewelry store, realizing to late that she was living there. Even though she had no trust in him, she still greeted his daily customers. When I went there earlier, he asked me if I could take her with me on the journey, since he still felt bad for her." I said, finishing the story when I noticed Mitsuki slowly rocking her back and forth. "That's some motherly instinct you've got there!" I said, teasing her and making her blush. "I-I can't help it, she reminds me so much of when Hikage was a pup!" She said, before shaking her head. "Wait a minute, why were you at the jewelry store?" She asked, grinning when she just realized she had flipped the tables on me.

This time, it was my turn to blush, as I reached into my bag and grabbed the small bag of the remaining diamond. "D-do you remember that 'crystal' you gave me back in the cave?" I asked, gaining a nod from her. " Turns out it wasn't a crystal at all! They're diamonds!" I said, tossing her the small bag. When she looked inside, her jaw dropped. "S-so what did you do with the rest?!" She asked, her eyes going wide. Again making sure Abby wasn't around, I told her about the necklace. She grinned when I described the gemstone. "Damn! you sure know how to spoil a lady!" She joked, causing us both to laugh. Our laughing fit went on for another minute and a half before we were finally able to calm down. Sighing, I turned and faced her. "I was meaning to ask you, I know I haven't given you a lot of time to think about it, but have you decided if you would like to join us?" I asked, sitting next to her. She sighed, looking away. "Y-yes, I thought about it, and I would really like to come along, but... Are you sure there's enough room for me and Hikage? I don't want to put to much strain on you from taking care of so many pokemon." She said, giving me a sad smile.

"Of course there's enough room, what kind of question is that?" I joked, giving her a hug. She sat there for a few seconds, just going stiff, then she hugged me back. "T-thank you Void, I was afraid it may have been too late." She said, hugging me tighter, accidentally waking Kazumi, who was still in her lap. Kazumi yawned, blinking and looking around, before her eyes fell on Mitsuki, causing her to cuddle farther into her lap, making Mitsuki smile. "H-hey Kazumi, I didn't really get a chance to introduce myself. I'm Mitsuki, me and my son Hikage are the newest members of Void's team. I wanted to thank you for healing my legs! If you need anything, please feel free to ask me, and I'll be happy to help in any way I can!" Mitsuki said, gently petting Kazumi on her head, causing her to sigh in contentment.

I smiled, seeing both Mitsuki and Kazumi enjoying themselves. I sat there watching them for the next five minutes before getting Kazumi's attention. "Hey Kazumi, I know you're having fun, but there are still others I really want you to meet." I said. "Ok Void, I understand." She said, looking sad to be leaving. "Don't worry, you'll see Mitsuki later tomorrow." I said, causing her to nod, cheering up slightly. She slowly floated up and took her spot around my neck. As we made our way to the door, Mitsuki suddenly called me back. "Hey Void, d-do you think I could come with you? I've been laying in that bed all day, and I would really like to see Abby when you give her the necklace." She said, sitting up in bed. I gave her a weary look. "I don't know, Brock said for you to stay in bed." I said, before looking into her eyes. "Fine, you can come, but you have to promise me you'll be careful." I said, giving into her pleading gaze. "Thank you Void, and I promise I will." She said, giving me a hug, causing Kazumi to float over to her, landing on her shoulders.

Walking through the hallway, we arrived at Hikage's room. Knocking on the door, I opened it and we entered, only to find both Hikage and Rose snuggled together, watching TV. "Sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but I wanted to introduce you to a new member of the team!" I said, causing them to blush at what I had said. Rose looked like she was about to defend the both of them, but before she said anything, she caught sight of Kazumi, immediately rushing over to greet her. "HI, I'm Rose, and this is Hikage... my boyfriend." She said, both her and Hikage blushing when she said the last part. Rose held out one of her ribbons, waiting for the Chimecho to introduce herself. "H-hi, I'm Kazumi." She said, using her own ribbon to shake Rose's, then going to Hikage and shaking his paw. Kazumi floated over to Mitsuki and cuddled into her lap, satisfied with knowing them.

"So Hikage, your mom decided to join the team as well." I said, smiling when I saw how excited he became at this bit of news. He looked at me, his eyes wide. "Does this mean I'm part of the team as well?!" He asked, not being able to sit still. "Of coarse you are, Hikage, there wouldn't be a team without both of you!" I said, ruffling the fur on top of his head, making him growl playfully at me, giving me a smile. We continued to play for awhile, Kazumi and Mitsuki even joining in. A few minutes later, I stood, picking up the tired Chimecho, placing her on my shoulder, where she curled up with a smile. "Well, I'll let you guys get back to watching TV, I still have to introduce Kazumi to Abby. What do you say, are you ready to meet my girlfriend?" I asked, gaining a small smile and a nod from her. Starting to walk, I realized that Mitsuki wasn't following me. "Are you coming? I thought you wanted to see Abby." I said, looking back at her. She gave me a smile. "Yes, I am, just please give me a minute." She said, turning back to Rose and Hikage.

I watched as she walked up to them and tucked them in, giving them each a peck on the forehead, making Rose smile. She then walked up to us, following me out the door. "Thank you for treating Rose so kindly, I really do appreciate it." I said, smiling at her. Mitsuki just shrugged. "Why wouldn't I, She has made Hikage SO happy, to me, she's already family." She said, returning the smile. We finally made it to mine and Abby's room. I slowly opened the door. Abby was sitting on the bed, reading a book, being bathed in the milky white glow of the moonlight seeping through the window, making her look stunningly beautiful. I must have caught her attention, for she looked up from the book. Seeing me, she immediately dropped the book, rushing over to me, about to tackle me into a hug, stopping herself as she noticed Kazumi.

"O-oh hello you little cutie, who are you?" She asked, confused, looking at me for an explanation. I took a deep breathe and began to tell her what happened. "This is Kazumi, she used to live in a old rundown building before it was purchased by a man named Jones Rockwell, who turned it into a jewelry store, not realizing that she was living there. He felt really bad about taking her home, so when I was at the jewelry store, he asked me if I could take her with me on our journey, and I agreed." I said, before noticing Kazumi's confused look. She floated off of my shoulders, getting closer to Abby, confusing me. Abby seemed equally confused by the Chimecho who was getting closer. Finally, after a long awkward silence, Kazumi appeared to snap out of her daze. "S-sorry! So you're Void's girlfriend?" She asked, blushing slightly at her actions. Abby nodded and chuckled. "It's ok, and yes, I'm Void's girlfriend." She said, giving her a smile and a pet on the head. Kazumi pushed against her paw, causing Abby to giggle.

"So Void, why were you at a jewelry store, is there something I should know?" She asked, grinning and snickering at my flustered expression. "Ha ha, very funny, I guess you don't want the present me and Mitsuki got you. Mitsuki looked at me in shock, surprised to be given credit. Abby stopped laughing suddenly, looking at me surprised. "Y-you actually got me a present?" She asked, her eyes going wide. I nodded, reaching into my bag and pulling out the small wrapped box, placing it on the bed. She slowly picked it up, shifting the box around and looking at the logo on the paper. "You got me jewelry." She said, blushing slightly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Well go ahead, open it." I said, urging her forward. Showing no more hesitation, she ripped the wrapping and opened the box, immediately dropping it and covering her mouth. A couple seconds later, she looked at me in disbelief.

"I-is... Is that..." She stammered, her eyes wide with shock. I simply nodded, smiling at her. The next thing I knew, she jumped me, sending me landing with my back against the bed with her lips pressed against mine in a passionate embrace. Mitsuki quickly covered Kazumi's eyes and herded her out of the room, much to the young Chimecho's confusion. I couldn't help but notice how different this felt. Before, our kisses had been filled with lust, being driven by our rampant hormones, but this, I could feel the tender love and passion behind this moment, and just as I started to enjoy it, it ended, as the need for air forced us to separate. I stared into her love filled gaze, not being able to look away. "C-can you help me put it on?" She asked, handing me the necklace. I gently placed it around her neck, fastening the hook. She slowly turned towards me and looked me in the eyes. "How does it look,Void?" She asked, sounding somewhat nervous.

The necklace complimented her eyes, making them appear to be on fire, as if holding all the passion that I was just shown in our last embrace. I slowly and carefully leaned in, pressing our lips together for another magical moment full of fireworks. I slowly pulled away, a strand of seliva still connecting our lips. Opening my eyes, I saw her beautiful scarlet orbs staring back at me, reflecting my love for back at me one hundred percent. "It looks beautiful, but not as beautiful as you!" I said, making her smile. We laid there, gently caressing each other. "I love you Abby." I said, pulling her even closer to me. She smiled, giving me a peck on the lips. "I love you too Void, and don't you ever forget that." She said, snuggling into my chest and closing her eyes, soon she was fast asleep, a smile left on her face. With a yawn, I carefully got out of bed and opened the door, flipping the little sign to 'Do Not Disturb', then got back into bed, snuggling closer to her, trying to once again get comfortable. Slowly closing my eyes, I relaxed into the warmth of her body close to me, soon feeling myself follow her into the land of dreams, as sleep finally overtook me, and I closed my eyes for the final time that night.

 **I finally completed one of my personal goals, not including this author note, this chapter is exactly 10000 words long. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as I added what I hope are good 'cute moments'. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review. Not only do they help tell me if my story is good, nothing makes me happier as a writer, then logging in to see what you all think about the story. See you next chapter.**

 **~spudbud16**


	14. Author's Note

I have to unfortunately take a hiatus for a little while, my original kindle that I use for writing fell in water, so I have to either wait for it to dry out in rice, or order a new one, which will take a while. I am hoping I could save my kindle, but it is not looking good, since it won't turn on. With that said, I'm sorry, I just wanted to give you all some news.


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 _Void's POV_

"No, no. Void, remember what I told you! If you keep trying to force yourself to use a move, you'll only cause your brain to overload, making you blackout! Try again, this time, try focusing on the natural energy around you, not what you're trying to create out of thin air. If it helps, try using the technique I showed you earlier, I've found it really helps me relax." Abby said, causing me to glare at her. Earlier, she had shown me something that she claimed helped her when she was still a small Riolu. She's been trying to get me into meditating.

"Look Abby, I appreciate you trying to teach me how to use moves like I asked, but this is hopeless, We've been training for the past three hours since midnight, and I can't do anything without blacking out. No offense, but I don't think hippy tactics will make a difference." I said, sitting on the ground deciding whether or not to give up. She gave me a shocked look. I could tell I was about to get chewed out for what I had just said, and I mentally prepared for her lecturing.

"Void! Meditation isn't a 'hippy tactic'! Meditation is an old technique used for thousands of years. It has become a way of calming your mind and helping you to relax. You'd be very surprised about how many people meditate. No doubt even the Elite Four meditates." She said, before noticing my blank look. She took a deep breathe, attempting to calm herself, then looked me in the eyes. "Void, please just humor me. Give me at least some trust, if it doesn't work, you don't have to listen to a word I say." She said, giving me a pleading look. I thought back to yesterday morning, remembering how saddened I was when she wouldn't believe me about my meetings with Arceus. I had to convince her to at least trust me. I frowned, realizing that I was doing the same to Abby. Sighing, I closed my eyes and rubbed my eyelids. "Fine, I'll try it, but I don't see how this is going to help in any way. So, what do I do, how do I meditate?" I asked, causing her to smile.

"Thank you for at least giving it a try. It's actually really easy to start, so we can start right away. You're already sitting, so that's the first step out of the way. Now, I want you to try to relax. Close your eyes and take deep breathes in through your nose, hold it, then let it out through your mouth." She said quietly, smiling at me as she walked over to me, sitting down next to me and closing her eyes, demonstrating the breathing technique, taking a deep breathe, then releasing it out her mouth. I closed my eyes, mumbling to myself. "This is making me feel stupid, I just don't see how this will help." I said, my voice barely being heard. Abby just sighed, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I can't make you do anything, but like I asked before, can you just humor me for a while? I really feel this will help, if only you'd give me a chance." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. I frowned, finally giving up.

With one more attempt from my brain to get me to stop, I pushed away my doubt and took a deep breathe through my nose, holding it for a few seconds, then exhaling through my mouth. "Great! Now keep that up, keep breathing deeply." She said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. I continued the breathing, and pretty soon I was feeling more and more relaxed each time I released a breathe. "Awesome Void! Now, I want you to focus. Try and _feel_ the energy that's in every living thing around you. When you can feel that energy, imagine it as a ball in your hand, imagine the feeling, and picture it in your mind." She said, as I sat there, perfectly relaxed. I gave a mental sigh, but followed her instructions. I felt around with my mind, trying to find this "energy" that was supposedly in every living thing. After a few minutes, I felt something that filled me with a tingling warmth. Locking on and focusing on this feeling, I slowly raised my hand so that the palm was facing up, then pictured the feeling coalescing into it, forming a ball.

I sat there for a few minutes. Besides this feeling, nothing else really happened, leaving me a little disappointed, as well as annoyed. I waited a few more minutes, then sighed loudly. "I knew this wouldn't w-" I started to say, opening my eyes in frustration, before noticing Abby's ecstatic look. Following her gaze, I looked at my open hand, my jaw dropping open. Resting on top of my palm was a glowing greenish blue sphere much like the ones Abby made, albeit, much smaller, only being about the size of a baseball. When my excitement became to much, the small sphere exploded in a cloud of smoke, sending me flying backwards, straight into a group of bushes.

"Void! I know you're excited, but you need to calm down, if you put too much emotion into an aura sphere, it will explode! Are you ok?" She asked, quickly running over to me, offering her hand to help me onto my feet. I nodded and coughed, a small puff of smoke floating from my mouth. "Y-yes, I'm fine, but you couldn't have warned me about it possibly exploding in my face before I tried it?" I asked, giving her a playful swat across her ear, not hard enough to hurt her. She rubbed the back of her head, blushing slightly, not looking at me. "Y-yeah, my bad, sorry about that." She said, still not looking at me. I pulled her into a hug, making her give off an adorable squeak of surprise.

"Don't worry about it, just warn me the next time. So, now that I can make aura spheres, what other moves can I use?" I asked, looking at the Lucario cuddling into me. She slowly pulled away, looking into my eyes, a smile and a blush on her face. "W-well, since we now know that you can use Aura Sphere, we can assume that you can be able to sense aura." She said, continuing to look into my eyes with her beautiful crimson ones. I looked back, before her words hit me, causing me to become confused. "Sense aura, how do I do that, that actually sounds really cool!" I said, my eyes widening in excitement. Abby giggled, sitting on the ground next to me, pulling me down as well.

"It's simple if you know Aura Sphere. You basically do the same thing you did when forming the Aura Sphere." She said, going into a meditation pose. I mimicked her, closing my eyes and started the deep breathing. When I was thoroughly in a state of relaxation, Abby continued the lesson. "Good, now start focusing on the energy like before, but this time, instead of forming a ball in your hand, gather the energy inside of you, then release it in all directions, like a big wave." She said, going quiet. I followed her instructions, feeling with my mind for the tingling warmth from before. When I found it, I started to imagine it pooling into me. I did this until my whole body felt like it was tingling, then I sent it in every direction. I sat there and waited. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes and shook my head. "Nothing happened, should I try again?" I asked, looking at her confusedly. Abby looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds, then nodded. "Sure, it took me a few times when I first learned how to use aura sense." She said, smiling encouragingly at me.

I closed my eyes and started meditating, once again locating and gathering energy towards me, before sending it everywhere around me. This time, I felt a wave of excitement and satisfaction as my mind was blasted with fuzzy images of the scenery around me without having to open my eyes to see it. "Woah, holy shit! This is amazing!" I said in awe, shocked by what was happening. Abby once again giggled, getting up and placing her hand on my shoulder. "What can you see, Void?" She asked, sounding pleased with my accomplishments. I beamed a smile, still not believing what I could now do.

"I-I don't really know how to explain it, but I can see glowing outlines all around me, even through solid objects!" I said, looking at Abby, before noticing what looked to be a glowing wisp of energy floating above her head. "I can also see this wisp of yellow above your head, surrounded by green. Does that have some kind of special meaning or something?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, my voice giving away my confusion. She quietly clapped her hands, the energy above her surging, turning an even brighter yellow as she slowly stood up, walking closer to me.

"Very good, Void! I'm glad that you were successfully able to learn aura sense. Not only that, but you also seem to be able to see people's feelings and natures! To answer your previous question, yes this 'wisp' of energy has special meaning. The energy you see above me is my mood and nature. Everyone has this energy, and it can make it easier to get to know them. For example, my energy being yellow means that I am happy! I'm happy that you are taking to this training so well, and that you appear to be enjoying yourself!" She said, nuzzling her cheek against mine. Smiling, I gently wrapped my arms around her, bringing her into a warm hug. She sighed contentedly, leaning into the hug. A couple minutes later, I separated from the warm embrace, looking around in confusion.

"So, Abby, this is amazing and all, but how do I get my normal vision back? I can hardly make out details on anything." I said, starting to panic when I realized that I didn't know how to turn off my aura sense. I heard an annoyed sigh from her, then she playfully cuffed me on the back of my head, snickering when I jolted in shock. "Maybe if you opened your eyes, you would find that your aura sense will go away!" She said, causing me to flinch. I had been so used to being able to see, I had forgotten that my eyes were still closed. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around. The first thing I saw was the necklace I had gotten her yesterday, glinting in the milky silver moonlight, making the necklace look like it was glowing. Seeing where I was looking, Abby started to blush, fiddling around with it.

"I-I never really thanked you for this necklace, did I? Well, thank you Void, but why did you get something like this for me, especially something this beautiful." Abby asked, looking as if she felt she didn't deserve it. I frowned, feeling heartbroken that she felt that way. I slowly brought my hand to her cheek, gently rubbing it, before turning her head towards me, leaning in and pressing my lips against hers, causing her to close her eyes, leaning into the kiss. I slowly pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "Knowing you like it is thanks enough. And what? Can't I get the one I love jewelry?" I asked, giving her a smirk. She gave me a small smile, tears leaking freely from her eyes.

I looked up at the sky, noticing that it was getting brighter. Seeing the beginnings of a sunrise, I sighed, giving up on any chance of sleep. "I guess it's too late to get any more sleep right now." I yawned, before noticing her apologetic look. With one more look at the sky, I got an idea. Turning to her, I looked her in the eyes. "Hey Abby, I know you used to live outside, but have you ever sat down and watched the sunrise in the morning?" I asked, waiting for her reply. She slowly shook her head, looking disappointed. "When I was still living in the village, I was tasked with collecting berries and other supplies, so I never really got the chance for that luxury. What about you, have you ever watched the sunrise?" She asked, sighing loudly. I shook my head as well. "No, but I heard it's beautiful. I was never able to wake up in time. When I did, I wasn't able to stay awake. So, what do you say, now that we can, do you want to watch it with me?" I asked, before noticing the sparkle in her eyes. "S-sure Void, I would love to watch it with you." She said, a blush tinting her cheeks.

Locating a ladder on the back wall of the pokécenter, we climbed onto the roof and sat down, facing the sun. A few seconds later, the sound of a door opening made us turn, now facing the front doors. Nurse Joy walked out and looked up towards the roof, slouching in relief when she saw me and Abby sitting there.

"Why in the world are you both climbing on the roof, making so much noise? What are you even doing up this early in the morning, it's 5:30 in the morning, you should be sleeping!" She said, giving us a stern look. I slowly rubbed the back of my head. "S-sorry we woke you up, we just got finished with some... Training, and we decided to watch the sunrise together." I said, flashing her an apologetic look. For a few seconds, Nurse Joy stood there, then she looked back up. "Ok, but after you're done, come back inside and eat some breakfast, then go get some sleep, I will not let you pass out from exhaustion!" She said, making us both nod. With that, she went back inside and left us to ourselves.

We turned back to the sun, seeing it slowly start to rise above the distant treeline, filling the sky with reds, pinks, yellows, and purples.. Abby started shivering slightly, so I reached into my bag and pulled out a light blanket, wrapping it around the both of us. She smiled, resting her head in the crook of my neck, sighing in contentment. "It truly is beautiful, I've never seen anything like this before!" She said, her eyes full of amazement. I smiled at her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, pulling her slightly closer to me. We watched as the sun made it above the treeline, causing the bird pokemon to start to sing their morning songs. After sitting there for a few minutes, I started to notice Abby with a distant look in her eyes.

"Hey Abby, what's wrong, what's on your mind?" I asked, starting to become worried about her. She blinked a few times, shaking her head as if to clear it. She gently pulled away and gave me a weak smile. "N-nothing, I'm fine, don't worry about me." She said, however I could tell that she wasn't being completely honest. Her right ear twitched, and her eyes wouldn't meet mine. "Liar. Something's obviously bothering you. Don't forget, I'm here for you, if something's wrong, you can trust me." I said, smiling and giving her shoulder a playful shove. A few seconds later, her gaze hardened, and for a second, I thought I had upset her, then she began speaking.

"You really want to know what's wrong? I've been thinking back to what your parents said before, about how they think we have been moving too fast with our relationship, a-and I think they may be right. It's hard for me to say, but I think we _should_ take a break, at least for right now. Do you think we could go back to the way things were before we got together?" She asked, looking at me sadly. I frowned, thinking about it. "I-I don't know if that's even possible, but we could try." I said, feeling as if my heart had shattered. "Before we start though, can you at least tell me what I did wrong?" I asked, looking her in the eyes. Before she could answer, I shook my head and walked towards the ladder. "N-never mind, I'm just going to go to bed, I guess I will see you later." I said, climbing down the ladder and walking to the door. I heard her call me, but I continued walking, afraid that if I stayed any longer, she would see the tears that were fighting to show themselves.

I walked into the pokécenter, walking silently towards the stairs leading to the rooms, but before I could climb them, Nurse Joy called me on the front desk. I sighed, then shuffled over to her. "What's wrong Void, and where's Abby? Breakfast is in the dining area, ready to be eaten." She said, still looking for Abby. I sighed deeply, feeling depressed. "Abby is outside still, as for me, please just give whatever food was made to her and the rest of the team, I'm just going to go back to bed." I said, starting to turn around and walk away, before Nurse Joy called me back. "What's wrong?" She asked again. I looked up, and for the first time in awhile, I felt the tears start to fall. "Abby and I are no longer together anymore, we just broke up." I said quietly, wiping my tears away. "S-so if you'll excuse me, I feel like crawling into bed and sleeping for the rest of my life." I said, walking to the stairs, before once again being called.

"I'm sorry that happened to you like that, you seemed like a good couple. I'll save some food for if you get hungry later." Nurse Joy said, looking at me with sad eyes. "Look, Mitsuki was looking for you earlier, you should at least go talk to her first, before you go to your room." She said, in a tone that let me know that there was to be no arguments. I simply nodded, then made my way to Mitsuki's room. On the way, I passed my dad as he headed down for breakfast for him and mom. As he passed, he stopped as he saw my tear stained face. "Void, are you ok, what's wrong?" He asked, concern in his voice. I glared at him. "I really hope you're happy, you got what you wanted, me and Abby are no longer together!" I said, storming past him, leaving him wide eyed.

Making my way to her room, I knocked and waited for her permission to enter, opening the door and walking in when she called me in. "Hey Mitsuki, Nurse Joy said that you wanted to see me, is everything ok?" I asked, trying my best to hide my depressed frown. She looked at me, a confused look on her face as she gives a barely audible yawn. She stares at me for a little longer, then blinks away her tired expression. "What do you mean Nurse Joy said I was looking for you, this is my first time waking up today." She said, sleepily looking at the clock on the wall, before turning back towards me.

I frowned, realizing that Nurse Joy had lied to me, most likely to get me to spend time with a friend instead of being alone. I sighed, shaking my head slightly. "I-I must have heard her wrong... Sorry for disturbing you, I'll just let you get back to sleep." I said, slowly turning towards the slightly ajar door, preparing to go back to my room and go to sleep myself. Before I could make it out however, I was called back. Turning back towards her, I noticed her concerned look.

"Wait! You were here to talk, so even though I wasn't expecting your visit, please stay. I can tell something's on your mind, what's wrong?" She asked, still looking and sounding concerned. For a second, I just stood there, my mouth slight open, then I snapped, not wanting her pity. "I'm fine, I don't need pity!" I yelled, then instantly regretted it, noticing her flinch, her eyes going wide, then she started to visibly deflate. I brought her into my arms, hugging her gently, trying to show her that I didn't mean it. She laid her head on my shoulder, sighing dejectedly.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just really confused right now. Abby and I just broke up, apparently we were going to fast, and she thinks we should take a break." I said, getting a shocked gasp from Mitsuki, before her grasp tightened around me. "Oh Void! I'm so sorry, I didn't know!" She said, pulling me even closer to her, causing my head to rest on her shoulder. I gave up trying to hold back my tears, opting to cry into her shoulder. She gently rubbed my back, not caring that my tears had soaked her fur. I sniffled, relaxing against her. "I-I don't know what I did wrong, everything seemed to be great, but I had to somehow ruin everything." I said, gasping for air after a bout of sobbing.

Mitsuki pulled away from me for a few seconds, glaring at me. "Void! Sometimes these things just happen, with no fault to anyone! I will not sit here and let you beat yourself up for something you didn't do! That's it, go grab your things, you're staying here for awhile!" I wiped my eyes, looking at her confusedly, not sure why this seemed to mean so much to her. "But-" I started to say, before she gave me a glare that told me no not to argue.

"No buts! I can obviously see how depressed you are. I want to help you, and the best way do that is to be here for you." Mitsuki said, giving me a determined look. I sighed, but gave a small appreciative smile nonetheless. "Fine, let me just get my stuff then." I said, walking out the door and towards my room. When I got to the room, I unlocked the door and walked in. I looked around, letting my eyes roam the dark, seemingly empty room, before turning on the lights. As soon as the lights illuminated the room, my gaze fell on a lone photograph, sitting on the bedside table. I slowly walked over, picking up the photo. Looking at it, I felt my heart drop. I was looking at the photo of Abby and I, smiling at the camera. This was taken after we had told my parents we were officially dating. We looked so happy together, smiling as if nothing would split us up. If only that was true.

"You both looked so happy together." A voice from behind caused me to flinch and whip around, nearly making me drop the framed picture. I calmed down slightly, realizing it was Rose. "Oh, h-hey Rose, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice giving away my sadness. She hopped onto the bed next to me, wrapping me in her ribbons, giving me what I assumed was a comforting hug. I sighed sadly, causing her to frown. "Mitsuki asked me to check on you, as you've been gone for an hour." She said, tightening her grip on me. I quickly looked at the wall mounted clock, shocked when I realized that she was right. I must have lost track of time, lost in my memories. Looking back at her, I saw her giving me a sad look. When she realized that I was looking at her again, she continued. "She told me what happened, I can't believe that Abby did that!" She said, causing me to sigh again. "Can I help you gather your things?" She asked, and when I nodded, she helped me collect my belongings and put them in my bag.

Packing my things went so much faster with Rose's help. Walking back to Mitsuki's room, me and Rose said our goodbyes as we passed her and Hikage's room. She gave me one last hug, then went inside. I continued on, reaching Mitsuki's room and knocking on the door, walking in when she called me in. When she saw me, she gave me a confused and worried look. "What happened Void, what took you so long? I was starting to get worried." She said, helping me unpack my things once again. I sighed, starting to think again of how happy me and Abby used to be. After a few seconds, I looked into her eyes.

"I got a bit distracted, I saw the picture of me and Abby, back when we first told my parents we were dating." I said, going into a state of sadness once again. I was snapped out of it when I was pulled into a hug by Mitsuki, who noticed my sudden change in mood. I sighed and relaxed into the hug. "I'm sorry that you had to go through the breakup, but I can tell you now, everything will be ok." She said, continuing the hug. A few minutes later, we went back to unpacking my things, albeit, this time in relative silence. After we finished, I set up a sleeping bag for myself, only after I convinced her that I was fine with sleeping on the floor.

"Now that my stuff is set up, I guess I'll just go to sleep now, thanks for letting me stay here." I said, opening my sleeping bag and laying inside. Mitsuki smiled at me and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it's what friends do. Are you sure you don't want to sleep on the bed and let me use the sleeping bag? After all, I've been living in a cave, I think I would be ok with sleeping in a sleeping bag." She said, looking at me with kind eyes. I shook my head, getting comfortable. "No, I'm sure. That is your bed, and I'm a guest, I wouldn't feel right if I took your bed. Plus, you've slept on the ground for too long already." I said, giving her a weak smile. She frowned, but didn't press the subject. A couple seconds later, I realized that someone was missing. "Hey Mitsuki, where's Kazumi? I would have thought that with the mother daughter bond that you two have, she'd be staying with you." I said, remembering how motherly Mitsuki was towards the little Chimecho. She just shook her head and waved her hand. "No, she wanted to stay with Rose and Hikage." She said, seemingly a little sad. I just nodded, understanding. "Well in any case, I'll see you when I wake up." I said, closing my eyes and falling asleep.

 _Abby's POV_

I sat on the roof for awhile, staring at my necklace, thinking about the breakup, and the way Void took it. The way he looked when I suggested we took a break from our relationship, I think a piece of him broke, a piece he couldn't get back, no matter what happens. Thinking back to it, I wish I didn't say anything. I sat there, watching the sun climb higher. As I sat there, I heard the pokécenter doors open, and the sound of someone climbing up the ladder. I turned, hoping to see Void, but sighed sadly when I saw his dad. I turned around, looking back at the sun. He sat by me, sitting quietly for awhile, then he broke the silence.

"I heard from Void that you both broke up, what happened?" He asked, looking at me with pity. I shook my head and sighed. "I thought about what you said on Christmas, how you think we were moving to quickly, I didn't pay attention to you until he got me this." I said, taking off the necklace and handing it to him. He flipped it around in his hands, seemingly examining it molecule by molecule, before turning back to me, shock written on his face. "I-is this diamond?!" He asked, his voice incredulous. I nodded, sighing sadly, taking the necklace back. He still looked shocked and confused. "Why would you both break up if he's getting you jewelry like this?" He asked. I looked down, not looking him in the eyes. "Isn't it too soon for him to be getting me jewelry like this? Plus, you've been trying to split us up, so why are you acting so shocked?" I asked, confused by his sudden change in behavior. He sighed, suddenly looking very sad.

"I can't really answer your first question, that's for you to decide. Is it to early for _you_? Even then, you could have just said so to him." He said, laying his hand on my shoulder. I felt horrible. When Void gave me the necklace, I had felt it was weird that he was getting me jewelry so early, yet I didn't say anything to him about it. Instead, I had hurt him much deeper than any physical injury could have. I sighed, feeling tears start to roll down my cheeks. Void's father reached over, wiping away some of the tears. He sat back, still looking sad. "As for why I've been trying to keep you apart, I guess I just didn't want you and Void to end up like his mom and I. When Void was born, I had to leave, as it was illegal for a pokemon to mate with a human. We could have been taken away from each other, and Void would have been placed in a foster home. Seeing you and Void the way that I did, even though it's now legal, made me worried, as you can still be taken away from each other." He said, staring at the horizon, seemingly lost in his memories.

I sighed, feeling as if I had seriously messed up. I slowly turned back towards him. "What do you think I should do?" I asked, looking him in the eyes. He looked shocked, as if the idea of someone asking him for advice was the most shocking thing. He blinked a few times, then shook his head. "Honestly, it's up to whether you want to be with him again." He said, before standing up and climbing back down the ladder, walking into the pokécenter. I sat there for a while longer, staring at the sky, praying to Arceus for _some_ kind of sign. When nothing came, I sighed, climbing down from the roof and heading inside. As I walked inside, I looked around to see if I could find Void. After checking the lobby and the dining area, I went to our room.

Opening the door, I turned on the light. Looking around, I saw no sign of Void. In fact, there was no sign of any of his things either. The only things left that didn't belong to the pokécenter was the bag Void bought me for my things, and a framed picture. Walking up to the picture, I picked it up and was instantly hit with a blast of nostalgia. I remember the day it was taken, bringing a smile to my face. It was the day I had to convince Void to tell his parents we were dating. He was so scared that they wouldn't allow it, especially his dad, since we technically share the same dad. Instead of being upset, they were instead very happy. They insisted they take a picture, so that they could forever remember that moment. Looking at it before, it always used to bring me happiness, now, looking at it and seeing those happy smiles, I feel nothing but sadness and longing.

I set the photo down, tears falling down my face as I sit on the bed, thinking about the happier moments. When the tears stop falling, I get up off the bed and walk to the door, deciding to try to find Void. I slowly walk down the hallway. When I make it to Rose and Hikage's room, I knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer it. A few seconds later, Rose comes to the door, but upon seeing me, she glared and slammed the door, causing me to flinch. I slowly trudged down to Mitsuki's room and knocked. When she answered the door, she also glared at me. "What the hell are you doing here? He is finally asleep, and I will not have you making him all depressed again!" She said, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get lunch for me and Void." She said, starting to walk away.

Quickly looking up, I caught up to her. "Wait. When Void wakes up, can you tell him I'm sorry for making him depressed?" I said, a small tear falling down my cheek. Mitsuki frowned, looking thoughtful, as her personality didn't let her stay mad at someone for long. She sighed, looking torn on what to do. "Fine, I can do that much. Just know that you really hurt him." She said, still looking at me with slight anger. I nodded slowly, not making eye contact with her. "Thank you, and I-I know I hurt him. I wish I could take it all back, but I know I can't." I said, giving her a sad look, before turning around and heading back to my room in silence, wanting to be alone. When I made it back to my room, I flopped onto the bed face first, laying down and letting my tears fall, soaking the pillow. I stayed like this for a little while, eventually falling asleep, tears still in my eyes.

 _Void's POV_

I slowly opened my eyes, yawning loudly and looking around. For a few seconds, I was confused, I didn't recognize where I was. I lied there in my sleeping bag, trying to remember where I was, before it suddenly clicked. I started to remember how Abby and I had broken up, and how Mitsuki had taken me in. Thinking about her, I looked towards the bed, noticing that she was not there. Sitting up, I grabbed a new pair of clothes and brought them to the bathroom and hopped into the shower. I sighed, thinking to myself as the warm water streamed down from the metal showerhead. I had always thought that Abby and I were doing good when it came to our relationship, but it seemed that wasn't true. I still wonder about what caused her to suddenly end our relationship, as I wasn't aware of anything that I could of done wrong.

I turned off the water, reaching for my towel and drying off. After drying off, I put on my clothes and walked out of the bathroom, nearly bumping into Mitsuki, who was standing outside, holding a small basket in her hands. Noticing me, she jumped slightly, nearly dropping the basket. I went over to my bag and placed my towel and dirty clothes in a storage bag that I found in my bag, then turned to her, giving her a small smile. "Hey Mitsuki, what's that?" I asked, pointing at the small basket being held by her. She followed my gesture, smiling when she noticed the basket. "Hey, I figured that a picnic might help keep your mind off of things. Nurse Joy helped me put this together." She said, looking excited at the prospect of a picnic. I gave a weak smile.

"Thank you Mitsuki, but I'm not really that hungry." I said, shaking my head slightly. She gave me a stern look, shocking me for a second. "Look Void, I know that you are sad, but you need to eat! Nurse Joy told me you haven't had anything since dinner yesterday. You've already skipped breakfast, you're not skipping lunch as well!" She said looking me in the eyes, looking like she was daring me to try to argue. I stared back, then sighed. She was only trying to help, and she already put together the basket, who was I to ruin her plans. "Fine, I'll go, but I won't eat much." I said, giving her a playfully defiant look. Her only reply was sticking her tongue out at me.

We made our way out the room, closing the door behind us. When we got to the lobby, Nurse Joy smiled and waved at us as we exited the pokécenter. "So, where are we having this picnic? Do you have a specific spot you were thinking about setting up at?" I asked, following her as she headed into the woods. She smiled, continuing the walk. I figured that I wasn't going to receive anything else towards an answer, so I just followed her. When we stopped, I felt my jaw drop. We were standing in a particularly lush clearing, a river with crystal clear water cut through the ground in front of us. Wildflowers dotted the ground all around us, along with a few berry bushes growing half in the shade. A small Azurill was hopping around near the water, when it saw us, it smiled and gave a happy call of it's name, then hopped away. I was amazed by all this beauty.

"Woah, this place is beautiful! When did you find this place?" I asked, as Mitsuki started to set up the picnic area. She paused for a moment, giving me a small smile. "Me and Hikage used to come up here all the time. He found this place one of the times he snuck away." She said, a sparkle in her eyes as she remembered. I smiled and started to take the food out, setting it on the small blanket we brought. She smiled when I handed her some food. "Sorry if I haven't really been the best conversationalist." I said, giving her an apologetic look. She shook her head, smiling at me. "Oh, don't worry about it Void, now eat your food, we aren't here to talk about that." She said, chuckling. I was about to reach for a sandwich, until a jolt of apprehension went through me. Noticing this, Mitsuki gave me a worried look. "Void, what's wr-" She started to say, before I cut her off. "Shh..." I said, going into my meditation position, then closing my eyes and used my aura sense. When it was activated, I cast my sight all around, quickly spotting a group of about four people. What scared me most of all, was their aura, which was a dark, shadowy black, and they were getting closer to us.

Snapping my eyes open, I jolted up, grabbing Mitsuki's arm and pulling her into a jog next to me, leaving the basket behind. "W-what's hap-" She was once again interrupted, this time by loud crunching twigs and leaves, getting louder. "Run!" I said, and she didn't ask anything more. We kept running, heading towards the pokécenter, and to safety. As we ran, the sound of quick crunching told me that they were definitely chasing us, and gaining to. Just as I thought they would catch us, the woods tapered out and the pokécenter came into site. We ran to the doors and ran inside, only stopping when we were safely inside. Nurse Joy ran over to see what was happening, and we all went pale as we looked out the window. Four figures, all wearing purple outfits, stood at the treeline, glaring at the pokécenter, three Absols at their sides. Nurse Joy quickly locked the doors, then called Officer Jenny.

 **Here's chapter 13, I'm sorry this took so long to finish. Not only did I accidentally drop my Kindle in water (thanks, Guest who suggested the hairdryer trick, it worked), I also have been getting addicted to a Visual Novel that is called Katawa Shoujo. I also apologize if the quality of this chapter isn't very good, I'm not good at break up scenes. I hope you enjoy it anyways. As always, please leave a review, as they really help.**

 **~spudbud16**


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 _Void's POV_

A week had gone by since Mitsuki and I were chased out of the woods. Officer Jenny had insisted that we stay out of them while she and the rest of the police checked them out. After three days of extensive searching, they were deemed once again safe, as no trace of the mysterious aggressors was found, but that didn't stop Officer Jenny from questioning me, Mitsuki, and Nurse Joy. After she finished questioning us, she left, telling me to contact the police if we saw them again. When she left, I gathered the others and told them what happened. Worried for my safety, Abby begged me to let her teach me more about my moves, and how to use them without meditating. By the end of the week, I had become pretty proficient at them.

I walked to Mitsuki's and my room, deciding that I would take everyone into the city, as it would allow us all to stretch our legs after technically being quarantined to the pokécenter, plus, it would let me stop by the 'Build A Ball' factory and see Liam again. Arriving at our room, I walked in, only to hear the shower running. I knocked on the bathroom door, letting Mitsuki know that I was here. Five minutes later, the water stopped, and she walked out, her fur looking shiny. She looked at me, giving me a smile. "Hey Void, did you need something?" She asked, cocking her head to the side slightly. I smiled back at her and nodded.

"Hey Mitsuki, how would you like to go to the city? I was thinking that maybe we could all go and stretch our legs after being cooped up inside for so long. So, what do you think?" I asked, waiting as she seemed to mull it over. For a couple of seconds, she looked excited, then she gave me a weird look. "Wait, by 'all', do you mean Abby as well?" She asked, making me sigh loudly. "Mitsuki. I told you before, just because she and I broke up, doesn't mean I should hate her. I know I can't change how you feel about her, but I don't even want you to hate her either." I said, giving her a hard look. She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't hate her, I just don't think it's such a good idea for you to be so 'buddy buddy' with her right after the break up, but yes, fresh air would be good right about now." She said, going silent. With that, we set out to gather the others.

Rose, Hikage, and Kazumi were happy to come, as staying in their room made them bored. Rose didn't seem happy when we went to Abby's room, but that didn't stop me. When we had arrived, I knocked on the door. "W-who's there?" She asked, her voice sounding quieter than usual, making me frown slightly, even Rose and Mitsuki seemed worried. "It's me, Void, can I come in?" I asked, and when she reluctantly agreed, I entered, telling the others to wait as I closed the door behind me. What I saw when I walked in caused my heart to drop. Abby sat on her bed, barely lifting her gaze to me when I sat next to her. She looked thin, as if she hadn't been eating, and she had bags under her eyes. When she did look at me, she gave me a guilty look, and I think that the only reason I was actually seeing her like this was because she was not expecting me, giving her no time to try and hide it.

"W-what is it Void, why are you here?" She asked, finally breaking me out of my shocked stupor. I sadly shook my head, not believing what I was seeing. "I-I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with the rest of us to go on a walk through the city, but seeing the way you look now, it's my job as a trainer and a friend to tell you to come along. You look like you haven't eaten in awhile!" I said, giving her a stern look. For a second, she looked as if she might argue, but then she sighed, looking away from me. "I-I haven't been hungry or tired lately, that's all. You don't have to worry, I'm fine." She said, only causing me to worry more. With another few seconds of awkward silence, I made up my mind, picking her up and walking towards the door. Abby gave a startled gasp, her eyes going wide. "W-what are you doing?! Put me down!" She said, squirming against my hold on her. "You say you're fine, but somehow, I don't believe you. I'm taking you to Nurse Joy." I said, continuing towards the door. She eventually stopped struggling, too weakened for it to be effective.

When we exited the room, all eyes fell on Abby, and how sickly she looked. Rose's eyes were temporarily drained of hate, and was replaced by worry. Mitsuki had to stop Kazumi from draining her energy using Heal Bell, and Hikage just looked worried and confused. I didn't stop to answer their silent questions, continuing my determined walk, trying to get to Nurse Joy as soon as possible. Getting down the stairs was difficult while carrying Abby, and I almost fell a few times, but each time, Mitsuki would catch me, making sure I didn't fall. We eventually made it down, and I rushed over to Nurse Joy, who jumped up, helping me bring her into an examination room. After I set Abby down on the bed, Nurse Joy told me to wait in the lobby while she found out what was wrong.

I made my way to the lobby, sitting down near the window, staring out of it. A hand being placed gently on my shoulder caused me to jump. Mitsuki sat next to me, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat. "Don't worry Void, Abby will be fine." She said, giving me a comforting smile. I frowned, shaking my head sadly. "I know, I just can't help but worry anyways. No matter how many times I tell myself that it's over, I can't help but still love her." I said, sighing loudly. "How could you still love her after what she's done to you!" Rose asked, walking over to us, giving me an incredulous look. Sighing once again, I shook my head. "When Abby and I were together, that was the happiest I've been in awhile. I had someone who I loved, and they loved me back. No matter what happened, I would always love her." I said, placing my head on the window, looking out once again.

We sat there in silence for the next twenty minutes, me hating every second not knowing if Abby was ok. Finally, Nurse Joy and Abby stepped into the lobby, walking towards us. Nurse Joy pulled me aside. "Void, Abby is going to be ok, she just had a slight fever. Not eating or sleeping for awhile caused her to get sick. I feel that all she needs, is some fresh air and some food." She said, giving me a friendly smile. I sighed in relief, looking back to Abby, who had sat down by herself, looking sad. Kazumi flew over to her, wrapping herself around Abby like a scarf, making me smile. I turned back to Nurse Joy, giving her a relieved smile.

"I'm glad she's ok. I was really worried when I saw her like that. She said that she hasn't been hungry or tired lately, do you have any idea what would cause that?" I asked, receiving a disbelieving look from Nurse Joy. She sighed, shaking her head. "Yes Void, I do, but she specifically asked me not to say anything. Even though it should be obvious..." She said, saying the last part under her breath, making me frown slightly. "What was that?" I asked, feeling curious. She just shook her head, giving me a smile. "Nothing, but can you do me a favor? With Abby choosing not to eat, can you make sure she does, she won't get better if she doesn't eat." She said, looking slightly worried. I nodded, giving her a smile. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she does." I said, before turning around, walking back to everyone else.

When everyone was ready, we set out into the city, walking down the streets and enjoying the sunny weather. As we walked however, I began to notice that Abby was slipping behind, walking slower than all of us. Looking around, I noticed the park that we went to before we met Mitsuki and the others. I turned to Rose, who also seemed to notice Abby slowing down. "Hey Rose, do you think you can take Mitsuki, Hikage, and Kazumi to the park for a little while?" I said, gesturing towards Abby. Rose looked worried, yet nodded and told the others to follow her. When everyone went to the park, I pulled Abby aside, and we sat on a bench.

"Hey Abby, something on your mind?" I asked, sitting next to her. She looked around, and upon not seeing the others, she sighed deeply. "Do you ever miss what we used to have?" She asked, looking into my eyes, her eyes full of an incredible sadness. "Of course, every day! Why wouldn't I?" I asked, shocked that she would even need to ask. She looked away from my eyes, suddenly looking unsure. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, giving her a caring smile. When she didn't say anything, I sighed quietly. "I can't make you tell me what's bothering you, but I hope you'll tell me when you're ready to." I said, standing up, taking a deep breath. "Now, we should go gather the others before they start to worry." I said, turning and getting ready to start walking to the park.

"Wait Void!" Abby said, making me stop and turn to her. When I turned to her, I noticed her reach into her small bag and pull out something shiny. Looking closer, I realized it was the necklace. She slowly turned to me, her eyes full of sadness. "Void, why did you get me this, w-what did you mean this necklace to be when you gave it to me?" She asked, silently pleading me to give her the truth with her eyes. I looked at her in confusion. "It's because I loved you, and to be honest, I still do. I was given the diamond by Mitsuki to give to you, but instead of giving you a chunk of rock to hold onto, I thought it would look beautiful on you. If you would of rather wanted the diamond itself, I'm sorry." I said, causing her to shake her head. A thought went through my head, and her look of relief gave me a sudden realization.

"Wait, you didn't think..." I said, cutting myself off. The guilty look she gave me told me that I didn't need to finish, and that my realization was correct. Looking around to make sure nobody was around, I gave her a shocked look. "Abby, is that why you broke up with me? Because you thought I was proposing to you?!" I asked, disbelievingly. She nodded, not looking me in the eyes. I gently turned her head, making her look me in the eyes. "Abby, I may be rash sometimes, but I would never do that, not unless we were both ready, and face it, we weren't even dating that long!" I said, still looking in her red eyes, while she looked in mine. She suddenly lunged forward, bringing me into a hug, sobbing into my shoulder.

"I-I didn't know what to do, with the necklace and watching the sun rise together, I thought you were going to propose to me! I didn't want to have to turn you down, so I thought that I would-" She started to say, but I held a finger up. "Break up with me before I could even suggest it?" I asked, finishing what she was going to say. She nodded, meeting my eyes with her sad gaze. I hugged back, patting her back like I used to do when we were dating. When she calmed down, she pulled away slightly, looking at me thoughtfully. "S-so, where does this leave us now?" She asked, looking hopefully at me. I shook my head, sitting on the bench once again. "I honestly don't know, it's up to you. If you really want us to be together again, I'd be happy to." I said, giving her a small smile. She nodded, bringing me into another embrace. I relaxed into the warm embrace, enjoying the feeling of being so close to Abby once again. Looking around, I realized that we had garnered some strange looks from people walking by. "Hey Abby, I think we should get moving, we have to get the others anyway." I said, inconspicuously gesturing to the passerbys staring at us. She blushed slightly, but nodded, and we headed on our way.

When we made it to the park, I saw Mitsuki, Rose, Hikage, and Kazumi sitting next to a familiar figure. Seeing me, Mitsuki waved us over, catching the attention of the blonde haired woman sitting near them. She smiled and waved at me, turning back to Mitsuki and saying something. Abby and I made our way over, regrouping with the others. I turned to the woman, giving her a confused look. "Hey Christa, what are you doing here?" I asked, giving her an awkward smile. She smiled back, holding out her hand, causing me to reflexively shake it. She looked at Mitsuki and the others in curiosity.

"Hey Void, I was just walking by when I saw these pokemon. I didn't see any trainers nearby, so I decided to keep an eye on them. Are they your pokemon?" She asked, looking me straight in the eyes. I felt slightly uncomfortable with the look she was giving me, as if I made a huge mistake letting them play alone in the park. Nonetheless, I kept my gaze neutral. "In a way, although I prefer to call them my friends, not my pokemon." I said, getting slightly defensive. She only nodded, though her eyes narrowed. "If they're your friends, why would you leave them here?" She asked, causing me to snap.

"Ok, that's it. First of all, Abby needed to talk, so I asked Rose to take Mitsuki, Hikage, and Kazumi to this park so they could have some fun, second, Abby and I were right outside the park in case anyone needed anything. I do appreciate you stopping by and keeping my friends safe, but what I don't appreciate, is you trying to insinuate that I don't care for my friends. You seriously need to back off!" I said, glaring at her. She genuinely looked shocked that I stood up to her. In fact, everyone was looking at me, shocked at my outburst. Christa took a deep breath, calming her shock down. "Y-yeah, sorry, that was rude, I'm just skeptical of all trainers." She said, looking away from me, seeming slightly embarrassed. I sighed, trying to calm myself down. "It's fine, but not all trainers are bad. Some, like me, don't just care about battling. My friends are like family to me." I said, causing Mitsuki, Abby, Rose, Hikage, and Kazumi to smile. Rose, noticing the long drawn out awkward silence, broke it, much to my relief.

"Void, thanks for letting us have time to play in the park, but are you ready to head out? I'm sure you had something you wanted to do today, and not just take a walk around the city." She said, giving me a knowing look. I gave her a guilty smile, scratching the back of my head. "I guess you got me there. As much as I want to say this was just so we could all stretch our legs after what happened last week, I would be lying. How would you all feel about getting a pokéball?" I asked, getting a shocked expression from everyone except Abby, Rose, and Christa. Christa just looked appalled. Before she could try and say whatever she was planning to, I continued. "You wouldn't have to stay in it, it would just be for safety. Since all of you are coming on the journey, I really want to keep you all safe. Every pokéball has a medical stasis mode, so, Arceus forbid, if any of you ever got seriously hurt, they would keep you from getting worse. Neither of you have to get one, it's up to you, but I would never be able to forgive myself if I let anything bad happen to you." I said, meeting each of their gazes.

They all looked unsure, but it was Mitsuki who finally came to a decision. Stepping forward, she looked into my eyes. "S-so, we won't have to stay in the pokéballs? After all, my old trainer made all his pokemon stay in theirs'." She hesitantly said, looking at me with sad eyes. I shook my head, feeling sorry that she had to go through all that she did. "No, I promise, none of you would have to stay in them if you didn't want to." I said, giving them each a smile. "So, what do you all say, would you want a pokéball?" I asked, looking around at them. Mitsuki seemed to come to a decision, smiling slightly and nodding. Seeing her agree, Hikage gave a little bounce, nodding as well. Kazumi however, stayed quiet, looking scared. Turning to her, I gave her a comforting smile. "If you don't want a pokéball, you don't have to get one." I said, hoping to calm her down. She shook her head and closed her eyes, seeming to think about it, then she opened them, looking into mine.

"W-will it hurt...?" She asked, still looking scared. I looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant. "What do you mean? Will what hurt?" I asked, looking at her. She gulped, looking nervous. "Being in a pokéball. Will it hurt?" She repeated, shivering slightly. I sighed, shaking my head. "Come here." I said, patting my shoulder. She slowly flew up and landed on my shoulder, wrapping herself around me like a scarf. "I can promise you right now, it will not hurt." I said, petting her head gently, giving her a smile. She relaxed, her voice piping up, muffled by my shoulder. "F-fine, if you say it won't hurt, I believe you. I'll get one." She said, continuing to relax against me. Making sure everyone was really ok with it, we made our way to the 'Build a Ball' workshop, Christa being uncharacteristically silent as we walked.

After a five minute walk, we all made it to the tall building that was the 'Build a Ball' workshop. Christa gave my shoulder a tap, catching my attention. When I turned to her, I noticed how fidgety and worried he looked. "Hey Christa, are you ok? You look like you saw a ghost type!" I said jokingly, trying to get her to calm down. She shook her head, her eyes darting between me and the building. "N-no, but I think I'll wait for you out here." She said, giving me a nervous smile, shifting from foot to foot. I gave her a confused look, raising an eyebrow at her strange behavior. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to come inside? I'm sure I could get you a free tour." I said, only for her to shake her head. "Thanks for the offer Void, but no thank you." She said, standing by her decision and taking a seat on a bench. I shrugged, deciding to give her space. "Ok, we shouldn't be too long, I guess we'll see you later." I said, giving her a wave as we entered the building.

When we entered, a cheery voice came from the receptionist desk. "Welcome to 'Build a Ball' Workshop, your go to- oh, hello Void!" The blonde haired woman said, finally noticing who it was. I smiled, walking over to her. "Hello, is Mr. Cruso here?" I asked, and she nodded, picking up the phone sitting in front of her on the desk. "He sure is, just take the elevator up, and I'll let him know you're on your way. May I ask what you want though?" She asked, getting ready to call Liam. I nodded, letting her know about my new friends, before we all entered the elevator, the door closing, and the elevator taking us up to the top floor.

"Ok, thank you." Liam said, hanging up his desk phone as the doors slid open. He gave me a smile, beckoning us towards his desk. "Ah, Void! I was wondering how your journey was going! I heard you've gotten more company." He said, only now seeming to notice Mitsuki and the gang. He seemed shocked, seeing all the new faces. I gave him a smile and caught his attention. "Yes, that's sort of why I'm here." I said, rubbing the back of my neck, feeling a little weird at the sudden change from friendly talking, to business. "You've met Abby, this is Mitsuki, Kazumi, Rose, and Hikage. Rose was with me and Abby when we started the journey, but Mitsuki, Kazumi, and Hikage joined recently. Sorry to ask for something as soon as I visit, bud do you have anymore Luxury Balls?" I asked, giving him a sheepish look. Liam shook his head. "Don't worry about it, there's no need to apologize. I did say that I would supply you pokéballs if you need them, and you're in luck! After the tests were completed, we built more of them, so if you need four more, that's fine!" He said, giving me a smile.

Liam motioned for us to follow him as we all got back on the elevator. As the doors slid to a close, Liam got a good look at Kazumi, who was still wrapped lightly around my neck. Turning towards me, he gave me a confused look. "You know, the chances of this being the case is slim and all, but Kazumi really looks a lot like the Chimecho from 'Chimecho Jewelers'!" He said, giving me a doubtful look, as if that was the most preposterous thing in the world. I looked at Kazumi, noticing her look of discomfort at her memory, as well as being the center of attention. With a calming smile to her, I turned back to Liam. "That's because she is, but that's a long story, one that I don't think Kazumi wants told." I said, getting an appreciative smile from her. Liam just looked thoughtful.

"So, why were you at the jewelers?" I asked, giving him a mischievous grin, trying to change the topic back to Liam. He smiled, suddenly looking both nervous and happy. He pulled out a small box, opening it and showing a small ring, sitting in the center. "I have been with Fiona for four years now, I was thinking about popping the question to her." He said, looking at the ring, a small smile on his face. I gave his shoulder a light punch, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Congratulations! So where is she?" I asked, giving him a beaming smile. He smiled back sheepishly, putting the ring box back in his coat pocket.

"I asked Fiona if she could pickup some things for me at the store. She almost found the ring earlier, so I had to move it, but I couldn't do that with her around." He said, giving an awkward laugh. "I have never been good at hiding things!" He said, looking away. I nodded, mostly to myself. "Well, you may want to be careful, there were some strange people around lately." I said, giving him a concerned look. He nodded. "I've heard about them. The police put an APB out on them. They apparently chased a boy and his Zoro-" He started, but then cut himself off, looking between Mitsuki and I, then shaking his head. "And, you would already know that, because that you, wasn't it? Why am I not surprised." He said, as we nodded. "Anyways, Fiona is really strong, I have no doubts whatsoever that she could hold herself in a fight." He said, giving me a confident smile.

The elevator chimed, confirming that we had made it to our destination, and the doors opened to a huge room, marked boxes stacked on both sides of the room. Liam walked out, and we followed him. "Welcome to the pokéball storage. All pokéballs that have been deemed ready for use are stored here as we prepare to ship them to pokémarts all over the region!" He said, giving a wide gesture around the room. I looked around in amazement at the assortment of pokéballs. He walked over to one of the boxes, opening it up to reveal that it was filled with Luxury Balls. Liam reached in grabbing four of them, before once again closing the box and walking back towards us.

"Here they are, would you like them customized?" Liam asked, handing them to me. Thinking to myself, I decided that if I got them customized, it would make Mitsuki and the others more relaxed about the idea of having a pokéball. "Sure, if it's no trouble." I said, handing them back. He nodded, grabbing a small bag and placing them in. "It's not a problem. May I ask what designs you had in mind?" He asked, giving me a smile. "Something that would feel personal to Mitsuki, Hikage, Rose, and Kazumi." I said, returning the smile. He nodded, walking back to the elevator. "So, how have you and Abby been doing?" Liam asked, trying to pass the time. I smiled, wrapping an arm around Abby. "Well, we kind of hit a bit of a snag in our relationship, but we seemed to have worked it out." I said, gaining a smile from her. Mitsuki and Rose looked shocked, and I remembered that they weren't with Abby and I when we got back together. "Well, I'm glad everything worked out in the end!" Liam said, unaware of the awkward moment.

The doors opened, letting us off at the lab, Liam turning towards us. "If you all would just wait in the break room, I'll get these pokéballs finished for you." He said, walking away, leaving us to go to the break room. When we got there, we all sat at the table, not saying anything. I placed Kazumi on the table, still asleep. Mitsuki broke the silence, clearing her throat and catching everyone's attention. "So, you two are back together again?" She asked, looking at Abby and I. I nodded, a smile on my face. "Yeah, isn't that wonderful?" Abby asked, leaning into my shoulder, careful not to disturb Kazumi, who had fallen fast asleep. I wrapped her in my arms, and looked back at them. "What's wrong?" I asked, as I noticed that Mitsuki and Rose didn't say anything. Mitsuki sighed, looking me in the eyes.

"Is that really a good idea?" She asked, looking at me with concern, Rose doing the same. I gave them a shocked look. "W-what do you mean?" I asked, holding onto Abby a little tighter. Mitsuki gave me a sad look. "I mean, you guys broke up not that long ago, do you really think this is such a good idea?" She asked, honestly looking worried. "Come on! I appreciate your concern, but this is the happiest I've been since the break up!" I said, getting a little defensive. Mitsuki nodded slightly, and I could of swore I saw a hurt expression on her face, but only for a second. "If you say so, as long as you're both happy." She said, giving us a smile.

"M-Mitsuki, is that you?" A voice behind us made her flinch, and when she looked, she instantly stood in front of Hikage, starting to growl and glare at the newcomer. I turned to see a young man, looking to be in his twenties, staring incredulously at Mitsuki. "W-what's wrong Mitsuki, it's me, don't you recognize me?" He asked, taking a step forward. She only growled louder, making him freeze in place. I looked at Mitsuki, shocked at her acting this way. "Hey Mitsuki, who is that?" I asked, my voice in a barely audible whisper. Her ear twitched, letting me know that I was heard. She continued to growl at the man for another ten seconds, then she quickly looked at me, her eyes showing her fear. "I-it's him... It's my old trainer!" She said, backing up slightly as the man took another step forward.

I immediately intercepted him, standing in front of Mitsuki. The man stopped and looked at me, as if seeing me for the first time. "Who are you, and what are you doing with my Mitsuki?" He asked, his voice sounding edgy. I glared at him for a few seconds. "I am Void, and she is a part of my team, and a very good friend. She is certainly not yours!" I said, still glaring at him. He chuckled slightly. "Who the hell do you think you are?" He asked, returning my glare. I gave him a grin. "I 'think' I'm the one whose going to be reporting you to the police." His eyes widened for a second, then he began to laugh. "Report me to the police? For what?!" He asked, taking another step forward. I looked him square in the eyes, not backing down. "Oh I don't know, maybe for forcing her to breed, or for shredding her ear when she tried to get away?!" I stated, feeling my left eye start to twitch with anger. He grinned, suddenly looking like he had won. "Who cares? She's too weak to ever fight, breeding is the only thing she'll ever be good at!"

I snapped. Cocking back my fist, I threw a punch, aiming for his nose. He blocked it, then picked me up by the collar of my shirt, bringing me close. "Stay out of my way, kid." He said, before throwing me against the wall. I felt my head connect against the wall, making my vision go slightly blurry. I tried to get up, but a wave of disorienting dizziness crashed over me. Upon seeing me get thrown, Abby and Rose jumped at the man, using various attacks to take him down. Rose used Swift, sending glowing stars at his face, making a direct hit,sending him reeling back. Abby took this chance to send an Aura Sphere into his chest. He lied there, half dazed by all the attacks. Now that he was down, Mitsuki made her way over to the man, standing over him. He just managed to take a breath, before she delivered a stomp to the man's crotch, making him pass out from pain. Abby ran over to me, helping me up and to a seat.

The door opened, Liam walking in holding the small bag of pokéballs. "Ok, they are all- Oh Arceus, what the hell happened here?!" He asked, nearly dropping the pokéballs when he saw me, half slouched over Abby, and my bloody nose. I shakily pointed to the man, still lying on the ground, being guarded by Mitsuki. I told him what happened, still sore from being thrown into the wall. He quickly went to the wall phone to call security, and a few minutes later, a Machamp walked in and carried the man away. Liam sighed, running his hands through his hair. He looked at me for a few seconds. "I'm sorry for what happened, but could you tell me what happened?" He asked, looking at me expectantly. I looked at Mitsuki, only for her to give me a sad nod. I looked back to Liam and shook my head.

"All I can say, is that he was Mitsuki's previous trainer, and he did some messed up stuff." I said, deciding to give him the vaguest answer I could, for Mitsuki's sake, and when I looked back at her, she gave me the faintest of smiles. Liam seemed to catch on, as he just gave a nod to us. "Well, in that case, at least he will be locked up for a while." He said, giving us a smile. He gave a small jolt, as if he had received a static shock. "Oh, if you are able to walk, would you mind following me upstairs, I have a few things I want to give you." He said, getting up, but keeping a close eye on me. I nodded, waving my hand nonchalantly. "I'm fine. I can walk, don't worry!" I said while standing up, only to have my legs betray me as they crumpled underneath me and I fell, only to be caught by Abby.

"Void! Are you ok?!" She asked, letting me lean against her shoulder. I nodded, grimacing as my legs felt like Jello. "Y-yeah, I'm fine, I may just need to lean against you for the walk though." I said, trying to take a step, but failing. I gasped as I was suddenly picked up by my legs and arms. Frantically, I looked around, only to see that I was being carried by Abby and Mitsuki, who were chuckling at my panic. "H-hey! What's the big idea?! Put me down!" I complained, as I was carried into the elevator. They only laughed more. "No can do, Void. You're unable to walk, so we have to carry you! Oh, and I almost forgot. Payback's a bitch isn't it!" She said, sticking her tongue out at me. I couldn't help but chuckle as well. " Ok, ok, I get it." I said, leaning up and giving her a small kiss on the nose, making her blush brightly. "Just please don't drop me." I said, sticking my own tongue out to mock her as well, and pretty soon the elevator came to a stop.

We all exited the elevator, only to see an extremely worried Braixen, sitting on the couch. When she saw Liam, she ran over, and tackled him in a hug. "Oh, Liam, I was so worried about you, I heard that something bad happened, and- Oh, what happened to you, are you ok, let me get you an icepack!" She said, quickly running to what I assume was a kitchen area, leaving us all slightly dazed at her speed. I looked at Liam, giving him a flabbergasted look, and he just shrugged. A couple seconds later, Fiona ran back in, juggling a small icepack between her hands, and I guessed that her being a fire type, she had to do this to keep from melting it. She placed it in my hands, guiding us to the couch, and I was finally set down.

"Oh, Liam, let me hang your coat up for you!" She said, giving him a smile, reaching for his jacket. He returned the smile. "Thank you Fiona that's very sweet of...WAIT!" He said, remembering too late that he had the wedding ring still in the pocket as the Braixen awkwardly picked up the coat, causing the ring box to become dislodged from the pocket and fall to the floor next to her feet. Liam tried to quickly grab the small box, but Fiona was too fast, picking it up and examining it, her eyes going wide as realization painted itself across her face. Liam hung his head as she gave him a shocked look. "Liam, i-is this what I think it is?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with tears. Liam slowly walked over to her, wrapping his hands around hers.

"W-well, I was going to take you somewhere beautiful and private when I asked you this, and I was going to think of a more romantic way, but would you marry me..." He asked, looking her in the eyes. She looked deeply into his. "Y-yes..." She said, giving him a loving look. "...I mean, with me botching this up and everything, I would understand if you said...wait, what?" He asked, looking confused, yet hopeful. She jumped into his arms, locking lips with him. When they separated from their embrace, Fiona snuggled into him. "Yes Liam, I will marry you, I thought you would never ask!" She said, kissing him once again.

I quietly cleared my throat, trying to catch one of their attentions. Liam looked at me, as if he had forgotten I was there for a few seconds. "We're just going to go back to the pokécenter now, as you look like you might want some privacy." I said, as Abby and Mitsuki got up and helped me up, supporting me as I tried and failed to walk. Liam looked at Fiona, and they nodded at each other, walked into the back, and came back rolling a wheelchair. On the wheelchair, was an envelope, and the pokéballs. I placed them in my bag, thanked Liam and Fiona, and said goodbye, wheeling my way into the elevator, being followed by a worried looking Abby. I gently pat her shoulder. "Don't worry Abby, I'll be fine." I said, giving her a comforting smile. She smiled back, but still looked worried.

I said goodbye to the receptionist as I wheeled by, and she gave me a shocked look at seeing me leave in a wheelchair. As we exited, I noticed Christa sitting on the bench, her head down, having nodded off. I wheeled over to the bench, shaking her shoulder to wake her up. She yawned, blinking a few times , then looked around, trying to find what had woken her up. Her eyes finally rested on me, causing them to widen in shock when she noticed the extent of my injuries. She jumped up, standing in front of me, still looking shocked.

"Void! What happened to you?!" She asked, looking at me with incredible worry. When I didn't answer, Mitsuki sighed, stepping forward. "I-it was my fault, he was protecting me. My old trainer showed up, and... I couldn't do anything." She said, a look of regret on her face. I gave her a sharp look, surprised by the way she viewed what happened. "That's not true! What happened to me was not your fault, and you did do something, you protected your son!" I said, putting my hand out and patting her on the shoulder. Hikage came over and nuzzled her side, making her give a small smile. I turned so I could address the whole group. "Look, what happened, happened. There's no changing that, let's just get to to the pokécenter." I said, receiving no arguments.

As we made our way back, I noticed Christa taking quick looks at me, each time looking more and more sad. I finally looked at her, catching her eyes as she took another glance at me. "What's wrong, you've been watching me this whole time, what's on your mind?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She gave me a nervous look, not saying anything for a while. She sighed, then looked me in the eyes. "Void, when we get to the pokécenter, I need to tell you something." She said, looking as if something was on her mind. I nodded at her. "That's fine, but I would like Abby to be there too." I said, fixing her with a gaze that meant there was to be no changing my mind. She looked at me, then to Abby, and back at me.

"Why? Is she good at keeping things secret?" Christa asked, giving me an unsure look. I looked at Abby as she walked ahead with the others, unaware of our conversation. I looked back to Christa, giving her a nod. "Yes. I would even trust her with my life." I said, flinching, not meaning to say that last part. When I looked at Christa, she didn't even look surprised. "Wow, you really do love her, don't you." She said, shaking her head. My eyes widened and I stopped. "W-what are you talking about?" I stammered, only for her to chuckle. "Oh, cut that out! I'm already well aware of you and her dating." She said, chuckling once more, before speeding ahead, catching up to everyone else. I sat there for a few seconds, shocked by what just happened. Abby must have realized that I had fallen behind, because a few seconds later, she ran up to me and started pushing the wheelchair, trying to get me to the pokécenter before dark.

The trip back to the pokécenter was quiet as me and Abby made our way back, and Abby looked to be in deep thought. She also seemed shocked when I told her about Christa knowing about us. By the time we arrived at the pokécenter, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the moon replaced it. Nurse Joy and Christa were waiting near the door, Joy looking worried when she saw us. "Void, I heard that you got hurt, come inside so I can give you a physical." She said, holding the doors open. I sighed, shaking my head slowly. "I'm fine, I probably just need rest." I said, being pushed inside by Abby. "Void! You are in a wheelchair, you are not fine until I give you a checkup and say that you are fine!" Nurse Joy said, giving a a look that told me not to argue. I dipped my head, shrugging my shoulders. "Fine, fine. What do I have to do exactly?" I asked, rolling my eyes as I was taken into a small room, Abby and Christa following.

"Here, put this on so we can start." Nurse Joy said, taking out a small rubber hammer and handing me a small cloth. I looked at the cloth, then back to her. "A blindfold? I thought we were doing a physical." I said, giving her a confused look. She sighed, shaking her head in slight frustration. "We are, Void. For one of the tests, you need to be blindfolded for it to really be effective, so again, please put it on so we can begin." She said, gesturing to the piece of cloth. I shrugged, finally doing as I was told, placing it over my eyes. When I was not able to see anything, I heard footsteps come close to me, then a whimper coming from Abby. "What's wrong Abby?" I asked, turning my head towards the sound. She didn't answer, but her random whimpering continued. I sighed, before taking a breath. "Abby, seriously, what's wrong? You're starting to worry me." I said, my voice quivering slightly. Abby finally sighed.

"C-can't you feel that?" She asked, giving a slight whine. I tilted my head, trying to figure out what she meant. "What do you mean? Feel what? I've literally been just sitting here, waiting for the physical to be- OW!" I said, cutting myself off as a sharp pain went through my knee. I quickly whipped the blindfold off, blinking from the sudden bright light and looking at Nurse Joy in shock, only to see her give a look of relief. Looking around the room, I realized that Abby and Christa looked the same. "What was that for?!" I asked, looking at Nurse Joy in shocked confusion. Instead of answering, she motioned for Abby to wheel me over to the room across the hall. When we got there, I noticed that the only thing visible in this dark room was a bed, and a strange machine hanging from the ceiling.

"Can you both help Void into the bed, I need to get an X-Ray of his legs." Nurse Joy said, handing me a heavy gray blanket when I was comfortable, telling me to put it over me. I did as I was told, covering all but my legs. When I was completely ready, she walked to a side room, no bigger than a closet, and touched the screen of a monitor on the wall. No sooner then she did, a sudden whirring noise came from the ceiling bound machine, which flashed a bright light a few seconds later. After a few more flashes, Nurse Joy walked over to us. "Hey Void, I'll be back soon, I need to go take a look at the results." She said, before walking out of the room, leaving me, Abby, and Christa still in the room. After a few minutes of silence, I finally cleared my throat, catching their attention and effectively ending the silence.

"So, Christa, you said you wanted to tell me something? And while you're at it, can you tell me how you knew about Abby and I?" I asked, looking her in the eyes, before noticing her hesitation. She took a deep breath, then nodded, not keeping eye contact. "S-sure, but first, I have to do something that I couldn't do while we were in the city." She said, getting up, walking over to me and placing a hand on each of my knees. I was about to question her, when her hands started to glow a rose pink color, causing my jaw to drop, as well as Abby's. When the glow began to fade, I noticed the feeling starting to come back to my legs, and I slowly and shakily stood up, placing weight on my legs. Christa gave me a weary look, and I looked at her, startled.

"W-who and what are you?" I asked, my eyes going wide.


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 _Void's POV_

No one said a word as we all sat in silence. I was trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened. A few minutes ago, I was bound to a wheelchair, having lost my ability to walk after getting thrown against a wall in a fight. However, Christa had somehow healed my legs, using some kind of pink glow in her hands. No matter how much I tried to think it through, I could not figure out what happened. After a few more minutes, she sighed, standing back up.

"Void, I'm about to tell you something, but you have to listen, ok?" She asked, fixing me with an authoritative look. I nodded, just wanting to be told what happened, and she continued. "As you have most likely figured out already, I am not really human. Do you remember your talk with Lady Arceus, the one where she mentioned sending a 'trusted pokemon' to meet you on your journey?" Christa asked, looking hesitantly into my eyes.

"Y-yes, but how..." I started to say, before it finally clicked, causing me to look at her closely. Christa must have been who Arceus was talking about. "S-so, you were were who she sent? I met you awhile ago, so why didn't you tell me all of this before?" I asked, giving her a questioning look. She sighed, looking down and away, not meeting my eyes.

"I-I wanted to make sure that you were really how Lady Arceus described you to be. She said you were a kind person who cared immensely for your pokemon, as well as people you have never met before. Lady Arceus and I have been deceived before, I wanted to find out about you before I started to follow you. Unfortunately, that meant I had to ignore her orders, and in turn, that has caused me to fail to keep you safe, and for that, I am truly sorry for the injuries caused by my insubordination." Christa said, bowing slightly. I tried to say something, but Abby cut me off, glaring at her.

"So, you ditched us and let Void get hurt at the 'Build a Ball' Workshop because you didn't trust him?!" Abby asked, her eyes seeming to bore holes through Christa as she visibly seethed, looking as if she wanted to send her flying. Christa shook her head sadly, still not looking either of us in the eyes, giving the impression of a recently scolded Lillipup.

"N-no, I didn't enter that place because of my fears. If I went in, I fear that I could have lost this form, revealing my true form to everyone. I am usually good at my illusions, but any extreme change in my mood could have caused me to revert back. If anyone saw the real me, they wouldn't have hesitated to throw pokéballs at me." She said, giving us a guilty look. Abby looked as if she was going to continue arguing, but I gave her a glare, effectively causing her to stay quiet. I then turned my attention back to Christa.

"Why would everyone be that desperate to catch you? You already said that you were sent by Arceus, but you never told us what pokemon you were." I said, giving her a questioning look. She sighed, finally looking me in the eyes, shocking me with the level of weariness that her gaze held.

"I'm not just any pokemon Void. I am one of many special pokemon that Lady Arceus created to help keep the world safe. I am what you humans would call, a 'Legendary', and many people would want to capture one, just so they could be the best. If I was to go into that building, and my illusion failed, they would throw pokéballs first, and ask questions later, I've been through it before..." Christa said forlornly, a sad frown fixing itself across her face, as memories seemed to flash behind her eyes. I took a hesitant step towards her, still wary about my legs. I placed my hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"What happened?" I asked, noticing the sad look in her eyes. She looked away for a few seconds, going silent. She then sighed, seeming to give up. She slowly sat in a chair, staring off into space.

"When I was younger, I used to be very trusting, almost to a fault. One day I met a young boy, lost in the woods. I used my illusion ability to hide what I really was, then helped him to get back home, and we quickly became the best of friends. We would meet up everyday to play in the flower fields near his house. Eventually, I decided that I could trust him, and dropped my illusion. This was a big deal for me, because he was the first human I had ever met. After that, he changed. He reached into his bag, not letting me see what he was doing. He then threw a pokéball at me, just barely missing me as I dodged. I flew away, hurt that the person I had trusted had turned on me. Since then, I became much less trusting of people." She said, a tear falling down her cheek. I surprised her, bringing her into a caring embrace.

"I am so sorry that you lost your faith in humanity, but I promise, you can trust me, I would never do anything like that." I said, as she hugged back. After a few seconds, Christa stepped back, still looking at me with a little uncertainty, though she did look slightly calmer. She looked me in the eyes, and I could see that she was at least willing to trust me.

"Ok Void, you haven't given me any reason to _not_ trust you, but even that could change in a second. If I show you what I really am, can I be absolutely sure you won't try anything?" She asked, looking into my eyes, as if she were trying to look at my very soul. I gulped, nodding my head quickly.

"I-I promise, you have my word that I won't do anything. In fact, if you want, I'll even put my bag on that shelf so that you can be sure." I said, pointing towards the wall. She gave me a calculating look, but didn't say anything, just nodded ever so slightly. I slowly made my way to the shelf, setting my bag down, then making my way back. When I now stood where I was before, Christa stepped back.

"Ok, here I go..." She said, spreading her arms out like wings. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Suddenly, a bright rose pink glow surrounded her, causing her to gently rise from the floor, and into the air. Her form started to shimmer and shrink, continuing until the glow was the size of a soccer ball. Eventually, the light began to fade, until the girl I had known as Christa was gone. Instead, in her place, floated a small pink cat like pokemon, her big blue eyes slowly opening, watching me closely, as if waiting for my next move. Before I could say anything however, Abby dropped to her knees.

"L-Lady Mew! You were the one that Lady Arceus sent to protect Void?! Please forgive me for yelling at you earlier, I didn't know it was you!" She said, looking at her with pleading eyes. Christa's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"No, that's ok, you had every right to be mad at me, I should have just did my job like I was supposed to do! And please, none of the legendaries, including Arceus and I, really use our titles, so please, just call me Christa." She said, giving Abby a small smile. She just nodded, still looking shocked to be in the presence of the 'Mew', and I gave her a confused look.

"Sorry if I'm being rude, but what exactly is a 'Mew'?" I asked, getting an incredulous look from Abby.

"How could you not know who Mew is?! You went to school, aren't they supposed to teach you everything about pokemon? What have they been doing instead of teaching you about the world's history?!" Abby said, looking shocked.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_ , I must have been sick on the day we learned about small pink cat pokemon!" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes in exasperation. Christa just giggled, sounding slightly squeakier due to her size. Abby and I stopped bickering, turning to look at her in confusion. She wiped her eye, a tear having fell from it due to her giggling fit. When she calmed down, she turned to us.

"Oh Arceus, you both fight like an old married couple!" She said, causing us to look at each other in shock, as she began to laugh again. "In all seriousness, I'm not surprised that you don't know who I am. With my lack of trust in humans, nobody really knows much about me at all." She said, her calm nature taking over once again. I nodded, looking thoughtful.

"So, who are you?" I asked, now focusing on Christa. She gave me a smile and took a breath, seemingly preparing for a long story.

"I am Mew, what many people don't know about me is that I was pretty much Arceus's right hand pokemon. She created me to make the pokemon while she made the earth and humans. She then made the other legendaries to help protect her new creations. Once I had done my job, I deemed it safe to be able to leave her side and live on this new earth. No one has really seen me, except for flashes of movement through the corner of their eyes." She said, appearing proud to have kept hidden for so long. I nodded, feeling caught up. A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps coming closer to the door made Christa panic. She quickly changed back, her feet touching the ground as the door started to open, and Nurse Joy walked in, looking at a clipboard.

"Ok Void, it appears you have partial paralysis, but with some exercise, they should... heal." She said, trailing off as she looked up from the clipboard, finally seeing that I was off the bed and standing. She dropped the clipboard, her jaw stuck open as she looked down at my legs. "H-how are you standing like that? The tests said you were paralyzed!" She said, her eyes going wide. I gave a nervous laugh, looking around the room for inspiration for a quick lie, until my eyes finally fell on Abby, causing me to get an idea.

"W-well, you see, Abby had a great idea to use a Paralyze Heal on my legs, right Abby?" I asked, looking over at her. She gave me a look of confusion for a few seconds, before understanding what I was trying to do.

"R-right, I thought it might help, and sure enough, it did!" She said, giving a nervous laugh. By the look on Nurse Joy's face, she didn't believe a word. Whatever she may have thought, she didn't say anything to voice her disbelief.

"W-well, whatever happened, I am happy that you are fine now." She said, getting ready to walk out the door, before she turned back to me. "Oh, and Void, on my way to check on the results, I passed Mitsuki. She wanted me to let you know that she was looking for you." She said walking out the door. As the sound of footsteps began to fade down the hall, Abby turned towards me and lightly punched me in the arm.

"Paralyze Heal, seriously? Out of all the excuses, that's the one you went with? That was an obvious lie!" She said, sticking her tongue out at me mockingly.

"You know I can't lie well when I'm put on the spot, but I didn't hear _you_ trying to come up with an excuse!" I said, giving her side a playful poke, only for the both of us to be brought into a sudden hug by Christa. After a few seconds, she released us and backed up, giving us both a small smile.

"Thank you Void, Abby, for keeping my secret, it really means a lot, and it shows me that my decision to trust you was right." She said, looking us in the eyes. Abby rubbed the back of her head bashfully, and I returned Christa's smile.

"No problem Christa, but does this mean that you'll travel with us?" I asked, receiving a nod from her.

"Well, I _was_ ordered to come after all, but I would still come even if I wasn't, you seem like you are a trustworthy group, plus, I still feel like I need to make it up to you for letting you get hurt when I was supposed to be protecting you." She said, giving me a smile. I smiled back, and we started to walk back to Abby's room. Halfway there, I turned to Abby.

"Hey Abby, speaking of traveling, I was thinking about continuing the journey, maybe take on the gyms, what do you think, would that be something you would want to do?" I asked, watching her reaction. She stopped, just standing there, causing us to stop walking as well. Her eyes seeming to sparkle.

"With everything that's been happening, and with how long we were at the pokécenter, I thought that you were going to end our journey early! I was hoping you would want to continue! As for the gyms, I thought that was your original plan, to get the gym badges and take on the Elite Four? Do you not want to do that anymore?" She asked, looking confused. I sighed, and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look into my eyes.

"I'm not going to end our journey for a few setbacks, the only way I would ever consider ending it early is if you didn't want to continue, and the gym challenge was just a goal to keep me looking forward, but now that you and everyone else have joined the team, I have you all to keep me going. If you want to compete in the gym challenge, then we can, but it's up to you all." I said.

"I don't mind taking the gym challenge with you, in fact, it would make me even stronger!" She said, playfully flexing her arms. "Plus, I think it would be really fun." She said. I smiled at her, bringing her into a hug. She returned the hug, giving me a smile as well. After a bit of walking, we made it to Abby's room and sat on the bed, talking for a little while, before I looked out the window and saw that it was night. I slowly stood up, stretching my back until I felt a satisfying pop.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now, I'll see you both tomorrow. Christa, do you mind staying here with Abby tonight?" I asked, getting a nod from her. Abby looked confused.

"W-where are you going, we got back together, aren't you going to sleep in hear with me?" She asked, sadness and hurt in her eyes. I blushed, taking a sideways glance at Christa, seeing her playful grin. I rubbed the back of my neck unconsciously in embarrassment, before letting out a sigh.

"I'm sorry Abby, all of my things are still in Mitsuki's room, and it's too late to start moving it back. Nurse Joy also said that Mitsuki wanted to talk to me. Plus, I still have to give her her pokéball, so I might as well spend the night there. This will only be for tonight, I promise." I said, giving her a kiss before saying a final goodnight to her, walking out of the room.

I made my way down the hall, thinking to myself. I still couldn't believe that Christa was really Mew, and that she was going to be traveling with us. I was so caught up in my thoughts, I almost passed by Mitsuki's room, until the sound of muffled crying brought me back to reality, and I realized that I had arrived. I listened for a few more seconds, determining that the crying was indeed coming from her room. I knocked on the door quietly, and the crying seemed to pause.

"Hey Mitsuki, Nurse Joy said you wanted to talk to me. I heard crying, are you ok in there?" I asked, waiting for a reply. As I was about to knock again, the door slowly opened, revealing a tear jerking sight. Mitsuki stood in front of me, her face stained with tears, and her eyes puffy. She didn't say a word, just opened the door a little more and gestured for me to come inside. We sat on her bed, her looking everywhere but at me. I sighed, tapping her shoulder to catch her attention. "Look Mitsuki, I heard you crying, I can see that something is bothering you, please tell me what it is." I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. She looked at me, and gently placed her hand over mine, before quickly moving it, blushing slightly.

"I-I want to tell you, but I don't want anybody to overhear." She said, looking skittish, as if she was expecting someone to come busting through the door. I thought for a minute, before I got an idea. I reached into my bag, grabbing the Luxury Ball that was designed for Mitsuki, then held it out for her to see. She gave me a confused look, looking at the custom made red and black orb that was sitting in my hand.

"W-what is a pokéball going to do to help me tell you anything?" She asked, looking me straight in the eyes with her troubled ones. I only grinned, holding out the pokéball.

"Mitsuki, I need you to trust me. While I'm still holding it, I want you to press the button in the center. Once you do that, we can talk all you want to, without any interruptions." I said, holding the pokéball out, looking into her eyes. She nodded slowly, stepping forward, reaching out and pressing the button. A sudden burst of red light emerged from the pokéball. The red light enveloped around her, pulling into the ball. I waited, and a few seconds later, I heard the now familiar loud pop, as the Luxury Ball began to spark. A couple seconds later, the red light shot out once again, and pulled me in as well. I closed my eyes, preparing for the strange feeling of being sucked into the pokéball. Suddenly, I heard a gasp from my left, and when I turned, I saw Mitsuki staring at me in shock.

"Void?! What are you doing in my pokéball?!" She asked, her voice high pitched with shock. I chuckled, giving her a grin.

"Do you remember that night in the cave, where I told you I was part pokemon?" I asked, gaining a nod from the confused Zoroark. "Well, that doesn't only allow me to talk to pokemon. Because of my half Lucario DNA, I am able to enter pokéballs, but only when the pokéball is used while I am still in contact with it, which is why I had you press the button while I was still holding it." I said, explaining as best I could. She nodded silently, before looking confused again.

"Wait, so if you're in my pokéball, how do we get out of here? Don't you have to be outside to reopen the pokéball again?" She asked, looking and sounding concerned. I raised my arm, showing her the bulky looking watch that was around my wrist.

"Technically, you'd be correct. The first time I was sucked into a pokéball, it was by complete accident, as I was testing the Luxury Ball with Abby. We became trapped for awhile, and my parents had to take the ball to Liam. He gave me this watch to trip the emergency release mechanism, which is how he freed us." I said, before noticing her sadden when I mentioned Abby. "Ok Mitsuki, I came in here for a reason, I heard you crying, why are you so sad?" I asked, only to find myself being wrapped in a tight embrace.

"T-thank you Void, thank you for risking your life for me and Hikage earlier! I'm sorry I'm such a burden..." She said, tears streaming down her face. I relaxed into the hug, gently rubbing her back.

"Hey, knock that off! Like Rose and I said before, you will never be a burden! Yours and everyone else's life will always come before mine! Now, is that what was making you so sad?" I asked, looking at her. She separated slightly from the hug, looking into my eyes and shaking her head. I gave her an encouraging smile. "Then tell me, what is bothering y-" I started to say, only to find her lips mashing into mine. For a couple seconds, I sat there with my eyes wide open, then I got my senses back and pushed her away, causing her to flinch. "Whoa, what are you doing, stop!" I yelled, panicking a little bit. Mitsuki looked down, a few tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry Void, I know you're with Abby, but I wanted to show you that I care for you as well." She said, looking away and not meeting my eyes. I sat there frozen, feeling shocked by what she did. Of the time I had known her, I would never have guessed that she would like me like that. After a few minutes of silence, and her not looking at me, I finally turned to her.

"M-Mitsuki, look, I'm... flattered that you like me like that, but I love Abby. Plus, even if her and I weren't together, I don't think it would work between you and me." I said, giving her an apologetic look. She looked hurt, and like she was going to say something, but I cut her off before she could. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with your looks or your personality. When I see you, I see you as the sister I never had. You trusted me with your past, and you were there for me when Abby and I broke up. You didn't use that time to try to get with me, you just comforted me and made sure that I was ok, just like family. I know that's probably the last thing you wanted to hear, but it's the truth." I said, holding my arms out for a hug. She cautiously and timidly stepped closer, before finally leaning into the hug, her face covered by her hair.

"D-does that mean you're not mad at me?" She asked, her face still covered, but I could tell how nervous she was by how she was shivering. I shook my head, hugging her slightly tighter.

"Mad, no. Upset, yes. You know, you could have just told me how you felt. Instead, you just took it into your own hands, which makes me feel like you don't trust me. It also makes me feel like you don't respect the relationship I have with Abby, and I already get enough of that from my dad." I said, as she placed her chin on my shoulder. We stayed like that until I checked my watch, seeing that it was 10 O'clock at night. "Well, it's getting late, we should probably get out of here and go to bed." I said, getting ready to press the button on my watch. When she didn't say anything, I looked up at her, only to see her looking up at the stars.

"You know, I haven't slept under the stars in years. Between my old trainer and the hunters, I never really got a chance to." She said, sighing sadly.

"We could always sleep in here for the night. We wouldn't have to worry about any attacks. Plus, with no lights, the stars do look prettier." I said, thinking out loud. Her ears perked up, and she looked at me, shocked.

"R-really? I would of thought you wouldn't want to, after what I did." She said, her voice getting quieter towards the end. I shook my head, giving her a small smile, which seemed to cheer her up a little.

"Of coarse, there's nothing wrong with sleeping under the stars, as long as you don't try to kiss me again!" I said, giving her a playful smirk. Too late, I realized, that I had made a poor choice in jokes, as she flinched slightly and looked away. "S-sorry, that was a poor choice of a joke." I said, mentally berating myself. Mitsuki just shook her head, laying down on her back and looking at the stars. I lied down as well, lying next to her in relative silence.

"Void, will things be different now that I messed up?" She asked, not looking away from the sky. I sighed, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

"Well, I'll never truly forget what happened tonight, but I won't let it change my view of you if you don't." I said, turning my head to her, giving her a calming smile. She smiled to, looking up at the tiny specks in the sky that I still don't understand how they got a pokéball to show. "Hey Mitsuki, I've been wanting to ask you, tomorrow, I was planning on continuing the journey, and I was wondering. Would you help if we took the gym challenge? You wouldn't have to worry about Hikage, I wouldn't enter him in the challenge." I said, saying the last part as I noticed her start to look worried. She visibly calmed down a little, but still looked a little unsure.

"I-I don't know Void, as you heard at Liam's building, I was never that good at fighting, I would only lose you your victory." She said, wilting slightly at her own self doubt. I shook my head, quickly sitting up and looking down into her eyes, causing her to blush slightly.

"I could always teach you! Plus, I don't really care if you win or not, as long as you have fun, that's all I care about." I said, smiling at her. She smiled back, laying back, and making herself comfortable.

"I guess I'm in, thanks for at least giving me a chance." She said, closing her eyes and preparing to go to sleep. I did the same, making myself comfortable. "Goodnight Void..." She said, before her breathing slowed down as she fell asleep.

"Goodnight." I said, even though I knew she was already asleep. I closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take over, and a few minutes later, I drifted off.

I felt a hand, gently shaking my shoulder, and when I opened my eyes, I was met with a pair of emerald green eyes, looking down at me. I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes, looking around in confusion for a few minutes, before remembering where I was. I turned towards Mitsuki and gave her a smile. "Good morning Mitsuki, did you sleep well last night?" I asked, giving her a questioning look. She nodded, but stayed quiet, and I could see that something was on her mind. "What's wrong? Why do you look so distant all of a sudden?" I asked, giving her a concerned look. She flinched slightly, then gave a drawn out sigh.

"It's just... I know you've already forgiven me for last night, but, I feel like I don't deserve it. I could see how happy Abby makes you, and yet, I still attempted to make a move on you. I feel like I'm beyond forgiveness..." She said, sitting down and looking really depressed. I sighed, walking over and sitting next to her, placing my arm around her in a half hug.

"Mitsuki, you are not beyond forgiveness. I told you last night, I will not let this change how I view you, and the sooner you realise that, the better. Yes, what you did may have been a mistake, but we all make mistakes, so please, let's just put what happened behind us, the past is the past." I said, as she wrapped both her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. We stayed like this for a little while, before we finally separated. "Now that that's out of the way, how about we start training, I did tell you I would teach you how to battle after all." I said, gaining a confused look from her.

"O-ok, but doesn't training take two pokemon? How exactly can I learn to battle for real if you can't use atta-" She started to say, before I cut her off, summoning an Aura Sphere in my hand, causing her jaw to drop. "R-right, you're part pokemon, I should have known you would be able to use moves..." She said, shaking her head slightly. I gave her a smile, shrugging my shoulders. "So, now that we got that out of the way, what kind of training are we going to do?" She asked, looking at me and giving an inquisitive look. Sending the ball of energy, I stepped back.

"I was thinking something along the lines of agility and evasiveness for today. In battling, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. You have to rely on your ability to dodge just as much as you do with attacking. First up, I am going to be standing at a distance and throwing Aura Spheres at you. I want you to practice dodging them. When you can effectively dodge them, we can move on to the next part." I said, getting ready. When Mitsuki gave me a thumbs up, we began.

I let an Aura Sphere form in each palm, careful not to make them too big as to not hurt her. When the first two spheres were ready, I threw them at her. The first Aura Sphere clipped her in the shoulder as she tried to dodge, causing her to wince and lose focus, allowing her to get hit in the chest by the second one, getting knocked off her feet and onto her back. When she fell, I ran over to her to check on her.

"Mitsuki! Are you ok?" I asked, reaching down and grabbing her hand, pulling her up and onto her feet. She just gave a small grunt, shaking her head to clear it. A few seconds later, she turned to me, a look of confusion and annoyance on her face.

"Arceus Dammit! What did I do wrong? I thought I had that!" She yelled, huffing in frustration. I looked at her in shock, and a few seconds later, she looked at me and sighed. "S-sorry, I just don't know what I did wrong, I thought I had dodged it in time." She said, rubbing her neck in slight discomfort. I looked at her for a few more seconds, then gave her a smile.

"N-no problem, I just wasn't expecting you to be the cursing type! Anyways, you were looking at me instead of at the Aura Spheres. When your opponent is using ranged attacks, you need to keep your eyes on the attacks." I said, watching as a look of understanding crossed her face. "Now, do you want to give it another try, or do you want to sit down for a few minutes?" I asked. She gave me a determined look, standing up and walking a few feet away.

"Can we keep going, I think I can do this now!" She said, readying herself and going into a stance. I nodded, walking a few more feet in the opposite direction. I once again let the Aura Spheres form, one in each hand. I took a deep breath, then started, throwing the balls of energy directly at her. This time around, she successfully started dodging them, ducking and twirling out of the way, letting them fly over her head, or to hit where she was just at a millisecond ago. Ten minutes in, I stopped the barrage of attacks and took a rest, as all those Aura Spheres took a lot of my energy to make and throw. A few minutes later, Mitsuki joined me, sitting next to me and catcher her breath.

"S-so, how did I do? Did I do good?" She asked, her tongue sticking out as she panted, and I could tell by the look she was giving me that she was hoping I was impressed. I took a few seconds, trying to catch my breath, before smiling at her.

"T-that was awesome! You really do good when you focus and put your mind to something!" I said, patting her back. She gave me a smile, her tail wagging slowly as I gave her the praise she had wanted. "However, with all that twirling around, I got the feeling you were showing off." I said, giving her a stern look, her tail stopping as her head hung low. "You can't show off like that! Sure, adding a little flair to your moves is good, but too much, and your opponent can use that against you. After all, the more cocky you are in battle, the more openings there are for your competitor to use." I said, looking at her. She nodded solemnly, seeming to take my advice to heart. I looked at her for a few more seconds, then nodded. "As long as you understand, I think we can move on to the second part, close combat dodging!" I said, only to receive a look of confusion.

"Close combat dodging? What is that? I mean, the name basically says it all, but what do you mean?" She asked, looking at me expectantly. I looked at her for a few seconds, before smiling.

"Sometimes, in a battle, both sides will have to fight in close proximity to each other, leading you to have to learn to dodge in these situations. Attacks will be closer, meaning you will have get out of the way quicker. For this training, I will be using Bone Rush in close proximity to you, and I want you to dodge it, and this time, try not to show off, this type of battling will be extremely difficult, so you need all your focus!" I said, getting a nod from Mitsuki as she took a step back. I closed my eyes, placing my fists together side by side, focusing my aura. I opened my eyes and separated my fists, a light green bone shaped staff materialising between them. Mitsuki looked shocked for a few seconds, before readying herself. I took a deep breath, then began swinging.

I was shocked. Mitsuki seemed better at dodging when she was close then she was farther away. In fact, she seemed to be a natural. I shook away my shock, continuing the attack. She dodged left and right, ducked and jumped, even going as far as to use her momentum to roll behind me a few times. We went on for another five minutes, before she rolled behind me, placing a claw against my neck, making me admit defeat. I turned towards her and smiled.

"Holy Shit, that was amazing! May I ask how you knew where to dodge? I tried attacking from all angles, yet you seemed to always know where my attack was going to land!" I said, looking at her in surprise. She giggled, looking embarrassed at my praise.

"I-I don't know if I was supposed to or not, but I watched your eyes while you attacked, and they seemed to give away where you were going to attack, and I just dodged in the opposite direction." She said, shifting from foot to foot. I nodded, looking quite impressed. I wasn't expecting her to figure out about tells till later.

"That is a really good tactic, but do you know what it is called when my eyes do that?" I asked, wanting to see how much she knew about tells. She blinked a few times, before shaking her head and looking confused.

"No, but all I do know, is that it really helped me, and I would have been hit many times if I didn't pay attention to it." She said, looking at my eyes. I nodded, giving her a smile before sitting down, patting the spot next to me. She sat down, and I began to explain it to her.

"What you noticed, was called a tell. A tell is a gesture or a sign that is unintentional. They can be extremely hard to stop, but very easy to spot. Everyone has at least one tell, and they can be very useful, as you could see. In battle, they can betray where your opponent is going to attack. Another type of tell that you can spot is which foot they step off with. This can show you where they plan to attack, as they will generally step off with the foot that gives them the most stability when they make their move!" I said, as Mitsuki gave me an understanding nod. She seemed to be beaming with happiness for a few seconds, before giving me an apologetic look.

"Void, I want to apologize. You told me not to show off anymore, but I still did." She said, looking down, as if she expected to get scolded. I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, causing her to give me a look of confusion.

"Yes, normally I would of been disappointed, however, that was actually pretty amazing! I was not expecting you to dodge behind me and end the training like that!" I said, before noticing the look of shock and confusion on her face, and I sighed. "Look Mitsuki, if you have ideas that could help in training, then use them. What you did back there really impressed me, and I might have to get you to teach the others that move. It's just when you start getting cocky that I become disappointed." I said, as she smiled and blushed at the praise. "Now, it's 9 O'Clock, and the others should be awake, training is over for now." I said, looking at my watch and preparing to press the button that would release us, before I found myself in a tight embrace.

"T-thank you for training me, and for forgiving me about last night. Could you please not tell Abby about what happened? I already got an Aura Sphere to the chest by her for accidentally killing you." She said, a hint of sadness in her voice. I sighed, hugging her back.

"Sure, but I really feel that you should tell her, if you told her the truth, I think she'd understand." I said, finally pressing the button when she pulled away. There was a bright flash of light like before, and I had to close my eyes. When I reopened them, we were back in Mitsuki's room, the Luxury Ball sitting on her bed.

"Man, all that training made me hungry! Do you want to go get breakfast with me?" She asked, placing her hand on her stomach. I nodded, and we started heading down to the dining area. When we got there, I saw Abby and Christa sitting next to each other. We got our food and sat down.

"Hey Abby, Christa, how are you?" I asked, smiling at them. Abby just glared at the and Mitsuki, making me feel uneasy.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be hanging out with _her_?!" She asked, anger clear in her voice and on her face, making me confused. I looked at Christa, giving her a questioning look. She just frowned, giving me an apologetic look. I turned back to Abby.

"W-what do you mean? What's going on?" I asked, looking into her eyes, only seeing the anger and hurt in them. She only scoffed, appearing even more angry.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, I know what you and Mitsuki were doing!" She said, her words barely over a whisper.

 **There you go, there's chapter 15. I want to apologize if my writing seemed confusing with more then one character talking in one paragraph. I have changed it up in this chapter, and I'm sorry if my writing style might not be that good, I am not used to writing in this format. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review, as they do help me.**

 **~spudbud16**


	18. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 _ **Warning: Contains lemon**_

 _Void's POV_

I looked at Abby in confusion, seeing the look of anger and hurt in her eyes. I excused myself from the table, pulling her aside. "What do you mean you what me and Mitsuki were doing? Do you mean training?" I asked, causing her to give me a disbelieving look.

"Training?! Sure... if you were teaching her how to kiss!" She said, growling quietly. My eyes widened, and I tried to say something, anything, but my mouth went dry, and I could only stand there. She scoffed at me. "What's wrong? You don't have anything to say? How this is just a big mistake?!" She said, her voice getting slightly louder, causing the rest of our group to look at us in shocked confusion. When I got my voice back, I tried to get her to at least hear me out.

"W-wait! Abby, you don't understand, please listen!" I said desperately. She only shook her head, holding her hand out to silence me. The look she gave me filled me with pain, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"No Void, I understand perfectly. You know, I was really happy that we were going to get back together. I thought I had found someone I could truly trust and spend the rest of my life with, but I guess I was wrong. You may like having multiple girlfriends, but I'm not that kind of girl. I would much rather be with someone who would want me as their one and only..." She said, walking out of the room before I could say anything. I stood there, not being able to move, not able to follow her to explain everything. I stood there until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around, only to see Christa standing there, giving me a look of sorrow and regret.

"I-I'm so sorry Void, this is all my fault, I'm the reason she is mad right now." She said, looking forlornly at me. I shook my head, patting her shoulder.

"N-no it's not, misunderstandings happen all the time, but what I don't understand, is how she saw what she saw in the first place." I said, before sighing and sitting back down at the table, putting my head down. Christa sighed as well, sitting next to me.

"That's what I'm trying to explain to you. You see, after you left for Mitsuki's room last night, Abby became really sad, after all, she was looking forward to spending some quality time with you after you both had gotten back together. When I soon noticed her mood, I told her about how I could open a link between your minds, that way, in a way, she could have her time with you like she wanted." She said, getting a shocked look from Mitsuki. After realizing that Mitsuki didn't know about her, she promised to explain later, and continued talking. "So I connected your minds, and she seemed happy at first, but whatever she saw, she quickly started to break down in tears, so I instantly discontinued the link. Speaking of which, what did she see, whatever it was, she wouldn't tell me." She asked, looking concerned. I sighed, but before I could say what really happened, Mitsuki cut in.

"I-I may have kissed Void while we were in my pokéball." She said, causing Christa to gasp. "I-I couldn't help it though, after he saved us in the pokéball workshop, I've sort of built up a crush on him." She said, blushing slightly. Christa turned back to me, looking me in the eyes.

"From what I gathered about you, I wouldn't peg you as the kind to do this, but did you kiss her back?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"N-no, but there was a moment where I froze from the shock before I stopped her, that could be what Abby saw. She most likely thought that that was me accepting Mitsuki's kiss, and now she'll never forgive me..." I said, sighing and putting my head down again, until Mitsuki stood up and started to walk out. I looked up, giving her a curious, but sad look. "Where are you going?" I asked. She stopped, turned around, and gave me a determined look.

"To fix what I did!" She said, before walking in the direction Abby had went, leaving me and Christa to stare after her.

 _Mitsuki's POV_

I left the dining area, heading into the lobby to try and find Abby. I felt bad for tearing her and Void apart, and as much as it pained me, Abby was way better for him than I could be. Not only did they know each other longer, they truly made each other happy, and I just had to come along and wedge them apart. I sighed to myself, heading for the place I though she would be at. When I was at her door, I knocked on it, hearing movement inside.

"Whose there?" A voice from inside said, unmistakably belonging to Abby. Instead of answering, I opened the door and walked in. I saw that she had her bag with her, looking as if she were about to leave. She glared at me, and if looks could kill, I would have been long dead. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, growling at me. "Haven't you done enough already?!" She yelled, causing me to flinch. Before I could anything, she sighed. "You know, in some ironic way, I should thank you. You have showed me how Voi-"

"Void didn't kiss me!" I said, taking a deep breath and interrupted her. For a few seconds, Abby sat there with her mouth left open, having been cut off mid sentence, then she gave me an incredulous glare.

"You could have fooled me! I saw the both of you with your lips pressed together, so your telling me that that wasn't a kiss?!" She asked loudly, growling again. I raised my hands, not wanting to anger her more.

"W-well, it was, but I was the one that kissed him, and I believe that's what you saw in that mental link that Christa had mentioned, but it was cut off before you could see what happened next. After the link was severed, Void pushed me away, and he was very adamant that he loved you, not me." I said, and for a second, I thought I saw a glint of relief in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant, making me wonder if I had imagined it. Abby looked thoughtful for a few minutes, then looked at me.

"Let's say you're speaking the truth, how can I trust you?" She asked, looking into my eyes. I sighed, feeling tears welling up slightly, causing her to look surprised.

"You don't have any need to worry about that, I have no need to lie to you. According to Void, no matter what, he would never see me as anything other than a sister..." I said, scuffling my foot slightly. "If you want to hate anyone, don't hate him, hate me." I said, before saying goodbye, walking out the door and to my room, leaving her to think.

 _Void's POV_

I sat at one of the tables with my head down, having given up any hope that Abby would forgive me for what she thought had happened. After Christa had explained to Nurse Joy what had happened to make me so sad, she kept on checking on me to make sure I was ok. She stopped by five times already, making me feel annoyed. So when I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and felt a light tap on my shoulder, it was no surprise that I would finally put an end to it.

"I told you Nurse Joy, I'm fine!" I said, not even lifting my head to look at her. However, I did when I felt another tap. "Look! I'm sorry to be rude, but I told you I-" I started to say, before I looked up and saw that it wasn't Nurse Joy, but Abby who stood there, looking down at me with concern. "A-Abby? I thought you didn't want anything to do with me!" I said, looking at her with sad eyes. She just sighed, grabbing a hold of my hand, pulling me along to her room. When we arrived, she took me inside and closed the door, turning and looking into my eyes.

"I-is it true, you didn't willingly kiss Mitsuki?" She asked, her voice quiet, making her seem fragile, as if a single wrong word would cause her to shatter into a million pieces. I nodded, gazing lovingly into the ruby oceans that were her eyes.

"Of course it's true! I love you, and _only_ you! I would never do anything to hurt you." I said, holding her close and bringing her into a loving embrace. She pressed herself against me, looking into my eyes, until she gently leaned in, pressing her soft lips against mine. We stayed like this until the need for oxygen became to much, and we separated from the kiss reluctantly, gazing into each other's eyes. It wasn't until I felt her hand slowly caressing my length that I saw the lust growing in her eyes. "A-ah, what are you doing Abby?" I said, panting slightly at her ministrations, as she led me to the bed.

"Please Void, I'm tired of all the fighting, of all the lonely nights that we couldn't share with each other, please just let us spend this time together as one." She said, looking at me with pleading eyes, gently rubbing my back, laying a kiss on my neck. I groaned softly, losing myself in the pleasure she was giving me. I nodded, my eyes closing in concentration.

"O-of course we can if it's what you want, b-but what if someone walks in on us?" I asked, causing her to slow down and think. She slowly got off the bed and walked to the door, opening the door and flipping over the 'Do Not Disturb' sign and closing the door again, locking it for good measure, before climbing back into the bed, pulling off my pants and boxers, while I slipped out of my shirt, gaining a smile from the blushing Lucario. Abby placed a hand on my bare chest, pushing me down and positioning herself above me, her head right above my member, while her lower lips were just above my face, tantalizingly close to my mouth. I took a deep breath, before tentatively pressing my tongue into her slit, dragging from the bottom to the little bulb at the top, eliciting a gasp and moan from her.

"OH! J-just like that, oh I've missed this feeling so much!" She panted out, before taking a deep breath, plunging down quickly, taking my dick to the base and into her throat, causing it to twitch from the sudden pleasure. As soon as she was comfortable, she began to slowly rise, continuing until just the head remained in her mouth, then she dropped back down again, starting to create a rhythm. Not to be outdone, I focused on her glistening lips once again, before getting back to work, diving wholeheartedly into her sweet tasting tunnel, flicking my tongue in deeper, causing her to moan and leak more and more of her juice, invigorating me to keep on going. She stroked her tongue across the bottom of my shaft, her moans sending a pleasant feeling of pleasure as the sound vibrated her tongue and brought me closer to my release, and as if she could sense this, she went faster, placing her hand on my balls, gently massaging them.

Having reached the height of pleasure and being pushed over the edge, I reached my limit, Abby swallowing everything, humming in delight. When I finished cumming, I felt bad for stopping the treatment I was giving her, so I continued to lick and suck her clit, as well as dig my tongue in, causing her to gasp and squirm, moaning as she rose off of my member. With her now done with the blowjob, she sat on my chest, scooting closer to my face, trying to get my tongue to go deeper. She pressed against my mouth, causing me to go further in. Her eyes widened and she moaned louder when my tongue rubbed against part of her walls, making me freeze. I experimentally flicked it again, and she literally grinded herself against me. I smirked, focusing my attention on her newly discovered G spot.

"Y-yes! R-right there, Void!" She gasped out, panting heavily as she neared her orgasm. After a few minutes, she began to twitch, her muscles clamping around my tongue, trapping it inside as her orgasm finally crashed over her with all the power and force of a train, and I had no choice but to swallow it all. She ground herself against my lips, trying to prolong her pleasure, and I attempted to help her along, wiggling my tongue around inside of her. Eventually, her orgasmic bliss faded away, and she released me, allowing me to pull her on top of me, where she promptly slumped against me, our foreheads touching as we stared into each other's eyes. No words needed to be said, as our eyes did most of the talking for us. I leaned in slowly, capturing her lips with mine, not caring that I could taste myself on her lips.

I blushed brightly as we separated from the kiss as I was starting to become hard once again. When it started to poke her in the stomach, Abby looked down, then back up, smirking at me. Taking a hold of me, she lined it up with the lips of her pussy, before turning and locking lips with me, slowly sliding down, causing us both to moan from the glorious friction we could feel between our legs. When she bottomed out, she started to bounce, starting out slow, and gradually picking up speed. I managed to take control, carefully flipping us over, so she was now on her back. She looked up and into my eyes, giving me a confused look as to why we were in this position, until I began to thrust into her faster.

Y-yes, come on! P-please go faster!" She grunted, her eyes tightly shut, and her tongue sticking out in a truly 'fucked silly' expression. There was no reason to ignore her request, so with a bit of effort, I put on a burst of energy, picking up speed, as well as power. She wrapped her arms around my waist, bringing us into a heated kiss, our tongues battling for dominance, before mine pinned hers, letting me explore her mouth. We eventually separated for air, and I began to feel the familiar tightening in my stomach, warning me of my impending release, and by the blissful look in Abby's eyes, she wasn't that far behind either. I picked up speed, hoping to bring her to hers first, but it only succeeded in pushing me over the edge. Feeling that I was about to cum, I started to pull out, deciding that I would finger her to her release, only for her to wrap her legs around my waist, pulling me back into her.

"A-Abby, what are you doing?! Let me go, I'm about to c-" I started to say in panic, only to grunt as I was to late, shooting my load into her tunnel, painting it white, as well as shooting rope after rope of cum into her womb, some even overflowing from her pussy, leaking around my dick, this being the biggest orgasm of the night. Abby gasped at the sudden warmth, her orgasm arriving right after mine. When it passed, she gently rubbed her belly, sighing in content. I felt torn. I wanted to yell at her for what she just did, but I also wanted to hug her and thank her for making me feel as good as she did, but ultimately, I couldn't do either, as exhaustion overcame me, and I gave in. Before I could sleep however, Abby rubbed my head, giving me a kiss.

"Sweet dreams, Void. I hope I was able to make you feel as good as you made me feel." She whispered, before snuggling her head against my neck.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was shining through the window, and a glance at the alarm clock showed that it was noon, and I had been sleeping for about two hours. Feeling someone pressing against me, I looked down, only to see Abby, lying against me, snuggling into my stomach. My eyes widened as I began to remember what had happened. I tried to carefully get out of bed, only to freeze as she let out a quiet moan in her sleep. Carefully and slowly lifting the blanket, I looked underneath, only to see that even though I was soft, I was still attached to her at the hips. I gulped, she looked so peaceful in her sleep, and I didn't want to bother her, yet, I couldn't stay like this either. Luckily, I didn't have to think long. She began to stir, letting out a small yawn, as her eyes slowly opened. When she saw that I was still inside her, she blushed, sitting up and moving back, causing my member to slip out, making us both moan slightly from the last feeling of pleasure. A small stream of cum leaked out, making me look away.

"H-hey Void, I hope you had a good sleep." She said, continuing to blush as she watched the dripping. I sighed, catching her attention, causing her to look at me with a worried expression. "V-Void, what's wrong, are you ok?" She asked, stifling a whine when I didn't look at her. I slowly got up, excusing myself to the shower. I quietly walked into the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the shower, stepping inside. I just stood there under the falling water, thinking to myself, feeling anxious. A few minutes later, I heard the door open, and Abby stepped into the shower with me, gazing sadly into my eyes. "I'm sorry if I didn't make it as pleasurable for you." She said quietly, her voice barely heard over the water. I turned, giving her a confused look.

"Wait, what? What do you mean, not pleasurable? What we did felt great, even better that it made you happy and feel good!" I said, wrapping my arms weakly around her waist, pulling her closer to me, causing her to blush slightly at our proximity to each other. Abby slowly and sadly looked me in the eyes.

"But... isn't that why you're looking so down in the dumps?" She asked, cocking her head, giving me a honestly confused look. "You don't have to lie to spare my feelings, if I wasn't good, I would really like to know!" She said, looking me in the eyes closely, as if trying to catch me in a lie. I sighed, shaking my head and looking away. When I turned back to her, I didn't bother to try hiding my worried expression.

"That's not the problem, don't worry, you were great." I said, causing her to smile and blush. "I...I guess I'm worried. With what you did when I came, it was like you wanted me to cum inside you." I said, giving her a look of apprehension. Abby blushed and looked away, about to say something, but I went on. "The idea of having a child might be something you want, but... I'm not ready to become a father yet. I mean, if you did become pregnant, of course I would step in and be a father, but I don't think I'm ready for that kind of respon-" I started to say, before she pressed her lips against mine, silencing me. When she saw my eyes wide, she separated from me, panting slightly, looking lovingly at me.

"Void, the way you treat all of us, I feel you'd be a great father, and the fact that you would be willing to stick around if I was to become pregnant, that tells me all I need to know." She said, pulling me into a tight embrace, giving me a warm, loving smile. "You don't have to worry though, I'm not pregnant, nor will I be until we are ready for that. Right now, I am infertile." She said, rubbing her stomach. "Meaning, no matter how much you may cum inside me, you won't become a dad! The only time you would have to worry, is if I was in heat." She said, patting me on the back. I sighed in relief, causing her to giggle. "Now that that problem is solved, we still have to get cleaned up, we wouldn't want the others catching on, now would we?" She asked, sticking her tongue out playfully, causing me to chuckle calming down slightly.

With my worries put to rest, and Abby no longer feeling bad, we showered together, helping each other get cleaned up. After a few close calls where we almost tackled each other and got dirty again, we finished with the shower, stepping out and drying off. Abby's fur puffed up, making her look fluffier then normal, causing me to chuckle. She just blushed, looking away and trying to straighten it out. When I finished drying off and getting dressed, I walked out of the bathroom and went to the bed, grabbing my bag and rummaging around until I found what I was looking for, the wooden brush I normally used for my hair. I called to Abby, who was still in the bathroom, trying her hardest to straighten her fur, only to give up and walk over to me, looking like a giant puffball. I chuckled again, patting the spot next to me.

"Hey Abby, you look like you could use some help with that, come here." I said, giving her a smile. She sat down next to me and looked at me in confusion, her head tilted slightly, before she sighed in contentment as I brought the brush down her back, smoothing down her fur. I sat there for awhile, brushing her fur as she laid her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed. After awhile, she slowly opened her eyes, looking at me with curiosity.

"Hey Void? I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but why do you sometimes act younger then you are? Not that there's anything wrong with it, but you seem to cry a lot, is something bothering you?" She asked, and I could tell by her voice that she was honestly concerned. I paused in the brushing, starting to stare off into space, getting lost in memories, until I felt someone poking me, only to see Abby looking at me with concern. "I'm sorry Void, that was rude, please forget I asked." She said, only for me to shake my head.

"No, it's ok, I guess I have been a bit of a crybaby. I guess you could say, after all those years growing up, I finally cracked." I said, looking with tired eyes. Abby just looked back, giving me a curious look. Seeing that she was confused, I began to explain. "Growing up, I was always bullied in school, and I couldn't really do anything about it. I couldn't go to any of the teachers for fear of the bullying getting worse, and I definitely couldn't go to my mom about it, she would just try to confront them about it, and that would be bad. So, having nobody to turn to, I resolved to just keep all of my emotions locked away." I said, sighing to myself. Abby looked at me with a sadness I had never seen from her, and she frowned.

"So you bottled up all that stress for years?" She asked, her voice quiet. I nodded, looking away, not able to stand seeing her so sad because of me.

"Yes. For years, I sat there and took the mental and physical abuse, just sat there while they would shove and punch me, as well as make fun of me, insulting my mom and calling me a freak. I did nothing except just take it, bottling up all the stress they caused me. That is, until I found out that they were right. About me, about my mom, everything. When I found out the truth, I snapped and ran away from home, into the woods." I said, before being slapped. I looked at Abby in shock, rubbing my cheek where she had made contact. She had tears welling up in her eyes, and had a look of anger in them.

"Don't you _EVER_ say that again! Those people weren't right. Sure you may be half pokemon, so you are the result of two different species falling in love, that doesn't make you a freak!" She said, panting after her small rant. A few seconds later, she pulled me into her lap, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. I slowly wrapped my arms around her as well, lying my head on her shoulder and letting my tears fall, soaking her shoulder. "You are not a freak Void, you are proof that two people could find love, even though people would shun them for it. You are special, especially to me." She said, leaning back so she could look into my eyes, before slowly leaning forward, pressing her lips to mine, closing her eyes and holding me tighter. I returned her affection, closing my eyes as well. When we separated, Abby smiled at me. "Please remember Void, I love you, if you ever need to talk about anything, don't bottle it up, just come to me, I will always be here to lend an ear!" She said, flicking an ear for emphasis, making me smile. I nodded, bringing her into a hug.

"Thank you Abby, I promise, no more bottling up my stress." I said, going back to brushing her fur. When I finished, it was flat once again, as well as shinier looking. She went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, before running out and tackling me to the bed and laying a kiss on my cheek, thanking me for the help. We laid there for about an hour, snuggling and enjoying each others company, before a knock on the door made us stop. I dismissed myself from beside her, much to her displeasure. When I unlocked and opened the door, Christa stood there, looking relieved when she saw me. I smiled back at her, stepping aside and letting her in. I sat back down next to Abby, and Christa sat on my other side.

"Hey Void, Abby, I'm glad you're both back together, and I'm sorry to interrupt, but Rose and everyone else are wondering when we are all going to start heading out again." She said, looking uncomfortable about interrupting us. I looked at her blankly, confused as to what she was talking about, before it clicked and I remembered what we were supposed to do today.

"R-right! Just tell everyone that I just need to pack away our things, then we can start heading out!" I said, already starting to pack away all our stuff. Christa nodded, gave us one more smile, then headed out. Abby seemed to pick up on what was happening, and helped me gather everything into our bags, looking quite excited. When everything was put away, she turned and smiled at me.

"Can you believe it?! After being held up here for so long, we're finally going to be taking on the gyms and Elite Four!" She said, beaming up at me in her excitement. I smiled back at her, not being able to help but share her enthusiasm.

"I know just what you mean Abby, we've been here for so long, it feels like I was starting to lose sight of why we left in the first place! I'll tell you what, I'm definitely looking forward to starting this journey for real!" I said, gaining an enthusiastic nod from her, before we both walked out of the room. On our way through the hall, I saw my parents. When they saw us, they walked over, my mom giving us a smile.

"Good morning Void, Abby, that blonde haired girl that has been with you lately said that you were all heading out for your journey again, is that true?" My mom asked, sounding a little worried. I nodded, looking between my mom and dad.

"For future reference, that girl is Christa, she's asked if she could come along with us, but yes, she was right, we're heading out now, so I'm glad you saw me before we headed out." I said, giving my mom a hug. Dad kind of shifted from foot to foot, looking awkward. I stepped towards him, wrapping my arms around him. He froze, seeming shocked, before hugging back. When we separated, he gave me a smile. "Goodbye dad, mom, I promise to call you both regularly." I said, giving them a smile. I started to walk away, before mom called us back.

"Void, Abby, you both be careful out there, I don't want to get another call saying that any of you were hospitalized!" She said, giving me a serious look. I nodded, shaking my head slightly.

"Don't worry, we'll all be careful." I said, looking at Abby, who smiled and nodded, giving both of them a hug as well. With one last farewell, we went to meet the others. When we arrived, everybody was excitedly talking to each other, save for Rose and Hikage, who were sitting next to each other and snuggling. Christa was trying to get Kazumi to settle down, as she was zipping through the air hyper actively. Mitsuki was sitting off to the side, snacking on a small sandwich by herself. When she saw us, she slowly made her way over to us, avoiding eye contact with Abby. When Abby said nothing, I gently elbowed her, and she sighed and looked at Mitsuki, pulling her aside.

 _Abby's POV_

I sighed, pulling Mitsuki to the side, so that we were sitting on a sofa in the side of the lobby. She wouldn't look me in the eye, looking very nervous. I cleared my throat, catching her attention, and she finally looked at me. "Hey Mitsuki, may I ask you something?" I asked. She nodded, suddenly looking very meek. "Can I ask why you kissed Void, even though you knew we were back together?" I asked, looking at her seriously. She sighed, looking down and away, but she still nodded.

"I-I didn't mean to cause any trouble, in fact, I didn't even mean to kiss him." She said, causing me to become confused. She must have saw my confusion, for she continued on. "After Void put himself in danger to protect us, I began to appreciate him a lot more than before. He didn't even hesitate when he knew who was there." She sighed, seeming to become sad. I nodded, starting to understand.

"Ok, so you like Void, but why didn't you just tell him instead, he's the kind of person who would understand, he wouldn't have judged you." I said, honestly confused.

"I-I tried. Void was with you and Christa, so I asked Nurse Joy to let him know I was looking for him. I was planning on telling him how I felt, but when he arrived, I became worried that you may overhear, you already sent me flying across the room when I accidentally killed him, and I really didn't want to go through that just because of some feelings I already knew were wrong." She said, tearing up slightly. I flinched, remembering again how I had attempted to kill her for something she didn't mean to happen. "I told Void how I wanted to talk to him, but I was worried of being overheard, so he suggested the pokéball. When we were both inside it, I attempted to just talk, but I became caught up in the fact that we were alone, and before I realized it, I was already leaning in and kissing him! I honestly didn't mean to come between the two of you!" She said. Looking into her eyes, I saw nothing but sincerity and regret. I sighed, before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Look Mitsuki, I know I may not be the most approachable pokemon, especially with something like that, but you're not the first one besides me to fall for Void. If you you would of just told me in the first place that you liked him like that, sure I would be a little edgy about it, but I would of generally been ok with it, as long as you didn't try anything." I said, her giving me a shocked look, before she suddenly brought me into a hug, surprising me. A few seconds later, I slowly wrapped my arms around her back. Looking passed Mitsuki, I saw Void give me a smile. Mitsuki pulled back a few seconds later, before giving me a questioning, yet hopeful look.

"D-does this mean you'll forgive me?" She asked, looking up at me. I thought for a few minutes, then sighed, nodding my head.

"Sure Mitsuki, I forgive you, but you'll have to gain my trust back." I said, giving her a serious look. She sighed in relief, perking up a little. "And don't worry, I'm sure you will find someone to love." I said, patting her back. She only smiled, but looked distant. "Now come on, let's get going, we're about to head out!" I said, pulling her towards Void, as we all began to leave, Nurse Joy waving to us as we left.

 _Void's POV_

I smiled as Mitsuki and Abby hugged, Abby having evidently forgiven her. As I sat there, Nurse Joy walked over, sitting down next to me with a smile.

"I heard you were getting ready to head out on your journey again, while you were getting ready, I took the liberty of giving everyone a quick checkup and I think you'll be happy to know that everyone is looking happy and in good shape!" She said, giving me a warm smile. I smiled back appreciatively.

"Thanks Nurse Joy, I want to apologize for any inconveniences we may have caused you. We planned to only stay for a day or two, but we ended up staying for two weeks, and in that times, we managed to cause trouble for you and Naomi! I know it's not much, but here, this should help pay for the supplies that you had to use on us while we were here." I said, reaching into my bag and grabbing my wallet, taking out the two thousand pokédollars that Liam had handed me in the envelope, and took out half of it, holding it out to Nurse Joy, who shook her head, her eyes wide.

"First of all, don't worry about it, you were no trouble, I'm just glad you're ok! Second, this is a nonprofit facility, I wouldn't feel right taking your money." She said, softly pushing my hand away. I thought for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Ok Nurse Joy, if it helps, I guess I'll make it a donation!" I said, walking towards her front desk, dropping the money into the jar, before walking back to the shocked and speechless nurse.

"I-I don't know what to say, thank you Void!" She said, looking to be at a loss of words. I shook my head, giving her a smile.

"Don't worry about it Nurse Joy, I'm happy to help." I said, saying goodbye and heading out, being followed by the others. Abby and Mitsuki caught up, Abby rushing over so we could walk side by side. When we had gotten a good distance away from the pokécenter, Nurse Joy called out to me, before running over to us, holding a small rectangular container.

"W-wait! Void, I forgot to give you this!" She said, panting slightly, trying to catch her breath as she handed me the small container. I carefully flipping it around, examining it. The container had a black base and a clear lid. The inside was covered in a soft, cushioned black material, with eight shapes seemingly cut out. I looked at her in confusion, and she continued. "This is a badge case. You said you planned on taking on the gym challenge, but you can't do that unless you have a means of carrying the badges that you win!" She said, giving me a smile.

"Thank you Nurse Joy! Now we are one step closer to taking on the gyms!" I said excitedly, before we all started walking again, waving one last time as we officially started our journey for real, nothing standing in our way this time.


	19. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 _Void's POV_

I smiled as Abby seemed to be filled with excitement and happiness, a bounce in her step. Looking around, I noticed that she wasn't the only one. Mitsuki, Rose, and Hikage seemed excited as well, talking to each other in not so quiet whispers, as Kazumi was wrapped around Mitsuki's neck, seemingly asleep, however, I could tell she wasn't really, as every so often, she would crack open an eye and smile, showing her true happiness at leaving the pokécenter. I had to admit, I was also pretty happy to be on the move again. Christa casually walked up to Abby and I, smiling at us.

"Why does everyone seem so excited, you couldn't have been at the pokécenter for that long!" She said, walking next to us. When she noticed the lack of an answer, she looked at me. I frowned, thinking back to our long stay. I sighed, staying quiet. "What's wrong Void? Did I somehow say something I shouldn't have, if I did, I'm sorry." She said, looking into my sad eyes. I sighed again, before turning towards her.

"Two weeks..." I said. Seeing her look of confusion, I continued. "Actually, it would have been three tomorrow. Between dying, being chased by mysterious people, and being thrown against a wall until I lost the ability to walk, we have been at the pokécenter for almost three weeks. I'm not surprised everyone is so excited to be out and about." I said, looking away. Christa looked shocked, looking at me in confusion.

"W-wait, you died? Did that also happen while I was supposed to be protecting you?" She asked, sighing and looking down and away, sadness in her eyes. I stopped for a few seconds, watching her. She was acting as if she didn't know about what happened. When she noticed that I was watching her, she looked at me, meeting my eyes and sharing my confusion.

"Didn't Arceus tell you about what happened before she asked you to protect me?" I asked, feeling confused. Christa looked at me strangely, then shook her head, looking troubled.

"N-no, all she told me was to protect you at all costs, she didn't even tell me why, just that it was very important!" She said, looking up at the sky, as if she would find the answers to all her questions, just by looking at the clouds. When that didn't work, she looked straight ahead and sighed. After a few minutes of silence, she looked back at me. "So, what happened? Can you at least tell me?" She asked, her voice sounding subdued. I nodded slightly, getting a small smile from her.

"Well, before you were asked to keep me safe, me, Abby, and Rose found Hikage in the woods. He had gotten his two front legs caught in a trap that a pokemon poacher had set up. After Nurse Joy and everyone else got him back to the pokécenter, I promised him that I would find Mitsuki and bring her to him. I decided that it would be better to go by myself, so I wouldn't appear threatening. By the time I found her, it was too dark to make it back to the pokécenter, so we stayed in her cave for the night. When morning came, I tried to wake her, but I accidentally scared her, and she sent me flying into the ground, where I landed on a crystal, which caused me to officially bleed to death." I said, retelling what happened.

"And even though he's forgiven me, I still haven't forgiven myself..." Said a voice from behind us, and when I turned around, Mitsuki stood there, looking very sad. I went to comfort her, but she cut me off. "I know what you're going to say, that I should forgive myself, but how could I, when I killed you. That's not just something I can get over!" She said, before sighing, and changing the subject. "Besides that, sorry to be listening in to your conversation, but what does Lady Arceus have to do with anything, you were talking about her a lot." She said, looking inquisitively at us. Christa gave me a weary look, and I nodded to her. She sighed, before looking back to Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki, there is something about me that no one but Abby and Void know. There will be a time when I will share it with everyone, but if I tell you now, I need you to keep it a secret." Christa said, willing her to agree with her eyes. Mitsuki only nodded, looking curious. When Christa still looked weary, Mitsuki stepped forward.

"Don't worry, I promise I'll keep whatever it is a secret. If you don't want anyone else to know, I won't say anything, not even to Hikage." She said, placing a hand on Christa's shoulder. Christa smiled slightly, nodding. With a deep breath, she looked Mitsuki in the eyes.

"Well, you see, I may look like one, but I'm not really human." She said, before continuing when she saw her confused look. "You being a Zoroark, you know a lot about illusions, right?" She asked, getting a nod from Mitsuki. "Well, I also have the ability to use illusions. What you see is not my real form. In reality, I am Mew, and I was sent by Arceus." Christa said, looking at Mitsuki, waiting for her response. Mitsuki's eyes widened, before she rolled them.

"Sure... If you didn't want to tell me, you didn't have to come up with some ridiculous lie, you could have just said so, I would've understood." Mitsuki said, looking annoyed. Christa looked around, and when she was sure nobody was watching, she closed her eyes. Her right arm started to shimmer and shrink, only to be replaced by a small pink arm, before it went back to normal, being once again replaced by a human arm. When she reopened her eyes, Mitsuki was watching in wide eyed shock, before she took a step back, looking panicked. "S-so if you were sent by Lady Arceus, does that mean I'm going to be punished for before?" She asked, taking another step back, her eyes filled with fear and sadness, and she looked like she was going to run, but before she could, Christa stepped forward, putting her hand on her shoulder. Mitsuki still looked scared, but she at least stayed where she was.

"Mitsuki, Arceus sent me to keep Void safe, she knows that you didn't mean to hurt him, now calm down, nothing is going to happen to you!" She said, gaining a relieved look from her. Christa gently brought Mitsuki into a calming hug, causing her to relax. After a few minutes, when she was finally calm, Mitsuki looked confused.

"Wait, if you were sent to protect Void from danger, why didn't you come in with us when we were in the 'Build a Ball' workshop?" Mitsuki asked, tilting her head slightly and looking at her. Christa sighed, looking away from her. When she turned around again, her gaze softened when she saw that Mitsuki wasn't accusing her of anything.

"You've used illusions before, was there ever a time where they failed on you?" Christa asked, looking at her in curiosity. Mitsuki thought for a few minutes, before nodding, looking at Hikage.

"Yes. It was shortly after I found our cave and Hikage hatched from his egg. He was very playful. One night, I was trying to hide the cave entrance for the night, and I had it almost fully concealed, when Hikage butted into my leg, wanting to play. I accidentally lost the illusion. A trainer was walking by, luckily, it was to dark for them to see the cave, but I almost got us caught." She said, looking away from him and back to Christa.

"Well, illusions are finicky things, and sometimes, they fail. As you may know, I am a very rare pokemon. If anyone saw the real me, they wouldn't hesitate to try to catch me. I didn't go in because I was worried that my illusion would fail." She said, looking apologetically at me, Mitsuki, and Abby. Mitsuki nodded, seeming to understand. After a few seconds, Christa continued. "However, seeing what happened, I am willing to try and get over that fear. I don't want to see you get hurt by me not doing my job!" She said, turning her blue eyes towards me. I smiled, but shook my head.

"I appreciate your dedication, but I don't want you to do anything that you're not comfortable with, especially if it's on my account, and if that means that you don't go into public places, then I'm fine with that." I said, smiling at her. She looked like she was going to argue, but I didn't let her. "When we started this journey, I didn't want to force anyone to do anything. Every pokemon that is joining us, I view them as friends and family, and I wouldn't want them to do anything that they didn't want to do." I said, as Abby smiled and leaned against my shoulder as we walked. Seeing Christa's troubled look, I patted her shoulder. "If you want to get over any fears, do it because you truly want to, and you're ready to, not because you think it will help protect me." I said, and a few seconds later, she gave me a small smile and a nod. A few minutes of silent walking, and we arrived at a small building with a blue roof. "Well, here's our first stop, the pokémart! Christa, this place has pokéballs, so if you want to wait out here, you can, we'll be real quick!" I said, only for her to shake her head.

"N-no Void, if I want to at least try to get over my fears, I need to go in!" She shakily said, trying to put on a brave face. I gave her a weary look, but shrugged, giving her a warm smile. I walked in first, quickly being followed by Abby, Mitsuki, Rose, Hikage, and Kazumi, who was now actually asleep, wrapped lightly around Mitsuki. Christa took a few timid steps, stopping at the door and looking petrified. I smiled, once again about to ask if she wanted to wait outside, but when she met my eyes, she took a deep, shaky breath, before taking a step inside. I smiled at her, before addressing everybody at once.

"Ok everyone, I need to get a few things for our upcoming gym battle. If you see anything you want, you can get it, but keep in mind, you can't get too much." I said, as everyone excitedly roamed the store, looking for candies and sweets. I started looking around, grabbing a few potions and other health supplies, being closely followed by a very timid Christa, who was looking around nervously. I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a calming smile. She looked over at me and returned it, although hers was a nervous smile. "Hey Christa, you're doing great, while we're here, do you want anything, I'm paying." I said, as she seemed to relax a little. She nodded, carefully and slowly reaching over to a side shelf, grabbing a small carton of poképuffs that were apparently imported here from the Kalos region. I looked at them, then at Christa, and smiled. "Ok, if you want these, I'll get them for yo-" I started to say, before a man of about twenty walked over to us.

"Um, excuse me sir, miss, sorry to bother you, but we have a rule against so many pokemon being in the pokémart at once, if it's not too much trouble, can I ask that you return them to their pokéballs for right now?" He asked, looking apologetic, yet stern. I sighed, before turning to him.

"Please Mr... Joey." I said, looking at his name tag. "We just started our journey, and I just need to pick up some supplies. I promise that we'll be real quick, and they are very well behaved! Please let us just get our supplies and we'll be on our way!" I said, looking at him pleadingly. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before sighing and looking at us.

"I probably shouldn't be doing this, but sure, go ahead and get what you need, but if they break anything, you'll have to buy it!" He said, before starting to go back to the checkout counter. I thanked him, then continued gathering everything we would need. After I had gotten everything, I called everyone back, and we went to check everything out. Abby, Mitsuki, Rose, and Hikage all got a box of chocolate covered Oran berries, along with an extra box for Kazumi when she wakes up. Smiling at them, I placed everything on the checkout counter, where Joey started to ring them up. "So you're going on your journey?" He asked, looking up from his task. I nodded, and he smiled, sighing quietly and suddenly looking nostalgic. "This reminds me of when I went on my journey for the first time with my Rattata!" He said , going back to scanning all of the stuff. Noticing my look of wonder, he chuckled. "What? Are you wondering how I got from being a trainer, to just a store clerk?" He asked, and I nodded. "Well, me and Rattata traveled all through the Sinnoh region, beating trainers left and right. He was truly the top percentage of Rattata! With all our skill, we collected all eight gym badges and decided to take on the Elite Four. Sadly, we couldn't get past them, and after a bitter defeat, we decided to settle down." He said, finishing the scanning and handing me the stuff, along with an extra box. "There you go, good luck on your journey!" He said, sitting down.

"Thank you, but what's this small box?" I asked, pointing at it, causing him to smile. He reached under the counter, pulling out a shiny red pokéball and showing it to me, causing Christa to flinch slightly. Looking puzzled by her reaction, Joey shrugged.

"Inside that box, is something called a Cherish Ball, a special type of pokéball. The boss wanted to do something special to commemorate new trainers starting their journeys, so he got the idea of giving these away to mark the occasion." He said, smiling and putting the Cherish Ball away. I smiled and thanked him, before we all left the store. With all of the supplies we could need, we started walking towards the direction of the gym I had saw when I had first came to Hearthome City with Abby and Rose. On the way, we started to come into sight of the ice cream shop, and I could see the look of longing on both Abby and Rose's faces. I stop, checking my wallet, seeing that I could still afford some ice cream.

"Ok everybody, how would you all like some ice cream?" I asked, smiling. Abby and Rose looked excited, already running ahead. Christa and the others however, just looked confused. Christa stepped forward, looking nervous.

"Sorry Void, but what is 'ice cream'? I mean, I've heard of it, but I never really saw or had any before." She said, giving me an apologetic look. I looked at her in shock, but before I could say anything, Mitsuki stepped forward as well, Hikage closely following, while Kazumi, now awake, clung tightly to Mitsuki.

"Same here, I heard about ice cream back when I was with my old trainer, but he never got me any, and living in the woods, Hikage and I have never really been to the city before." Mitsuki said, Hikage nodding his head in agreement.

"I've never really left my old home, so I never had this 'ice cream' before." Kazumi said, looking sad. I looked at everyone in shocked confusion, before slowly shaking my head. How could anyone live without tasting ice cream at least once?! With a sigh I began to explain.

"Ice cream is a delicious snack food, especially during summer. It comes in many different flavors, and you haven't lived until you had some! So, do you want any?" I asked, gaining some excited nods from them. We quickly caught up to Abby and Rose, who were looking up at the flavor list, licking their lips. When we got there, we each got a sundae for ourselves, except for Kazumi, who I shared mine with, holding a spoon for her, since she didn't have any hands to eat with. Christa slowly lifted her spoon to her mouth, taking a small taste, letting the ice cream slowly melt in her mouth, before her eyes widened, and she dug into her sundae with renewed vigour, clearly enjoying it. "Hey Christa, you should slow down, ice cream may taste great, but if you eat it too fast, it can give you a..." I started to say, before I was interrupted by her gasps of pain.

"Oh Arceus, holy shit, the pain!" Christa groaned, dropping the spoon back in her bowl and gripping her head, her eyes tightly closed. I shook my head, sighing to myself.

"...Brain freeze. I tried to tell you, if you eat it too fast, you'll give yourself a brain freeze!" I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. She whined, barely acknowledging me. I was about to continue, before I noticed that something was definitely wrong. I quickly opened my backpack, rummaging through it until I found a blanket, quickly tossing it over her back. She cuddled into it, and a few minutes later, when her pain was gone, she looked at me in confusion. I carefully pointed behind her, and she looked under the blanket. As soon as she saw what I had, the color drained from her face. The pain from her brain freeze must have distracted her and broke her concentration on her illusions, for behind her, was a twitching pink tail. Christa quickly wrapped the blanket around herself tighter, before closing her eyes, building up her concentration again, resetting up her illusion. I looked around at the others, checking to see if they had seen what happened, only to see them looking at Christa in concern.

"Christa, are you ok, what happened?" Rose asked, hopping down from her chair and walking over to her, still looking quite concerned. When she didn't answer, I cleared my throat, gaining Rose's attention.

"Don't worry, she's fine, she just ate her ice cream too fast!" I said, and a look of understanding flashed in her eyes. She nodded, before looking back to Christa.

"Ah, brain freeze, well as long as you're ok." She said, before turning and walking back to everyone else,assumedly to tell the others what happened. Looking at Kazumi, I could see her looking at Christa in shock. I had no doubts that she had seen everything, having been around my neck the whole time. When Kazumi saw me looking at her, she quickly looked away. The rest of the time was spent in relative silence as everyone continued to eat their frozen delicacies, even Christa, who ate hers slowly this time. When everyone was finished, we continued on our way to the Hearthome City gym, Kazumi once again watching Christa closely, wrapped around Mitsuki lightly. After a while, I sighed, pulling Christa aside.

"Christa, I think Kazumi may know something about you." I said quietly, looking at her. Christa's eyes widened, and she looked over to Kazumi, who quickly looked away when she saw her. Christa sighed, looking dismayed.

"H-how could she have found out, I was pretty sure I was good at keeping it a secret!" She said, looking confused, and I frowned.

"At the ice cream place, when your illusion started to slip, she was right next to me, maybe she saw what happened." I said, rubbing the back of my head guiltily. "When I saw what was happening, I panicked, and I probably brought her attention to you, and for that, I'm sorry. If you want, I could spare you from having to explain to her what she saw and explain it to her myself." I said, giving her an apologetic look. Christa frowned and sighed, before shaking her head, looking at me with tired eyes.

"N-no Void, I'm done, I'm tired of keeping this secret. If I'm going to be traveling with all of you, if I want to be trusted, I need to tell everyone the truth. Can you let her know that I'll explain everything after the gym battle?" She asked, shuffling her feet. I nodded, happy that she no longer had to hold this secret. I made my way to Mitsuki and Kazumi, waving to them and gaining their attention.

"Hey Kazumi, can I talk to you real quick?" I asked, looking at her for a few seconds. She sighed, looking weary, before Mitsuki cut in.

"Go ahead Kazumi, I have to talk to Hikage anyways." She said, before waving to me, then walking away. Kazumi floated in front of me for a few seconds, seeming to be in thought, then she turned towards me, looking upset.

"I know what I saw! I might not understand it, but Christa's hiding something, and don't even try to say that I was just seeing things, because the way you acted, I know that you saw it too!" She said, panting slightly at her long winded comment. I nodded, causing her to look at me in shock. "W-wait, you mean you're not going to try and come up with an excuse?" She asked, her eyes full of confusion. I shook my head.

"No Kazumi, I'm not. To be honest, earlier, I would have, not to be rude, but to keep her secret safe. You see, Christa has a secret, one that she didn't want anyone to know. However, she asked me to tell you that she plans to tell you all after the gym." I said, getting a small nod from her.

"So, you already know what it is that she's hiding, and you couldn't even trust us enough to tell us?" She asked, sounding hurt. I sighed, frowning slightly.

"That's not it, and you know it! If I could have told you all, I would have. Christa was even weary about telling Abby and I, the only reason she did, was because it had to do with me personally." I said, gently, patting her head, causing Kazumi to smile, although, I could still sense a little hurt in her. "I promise, everything will be explained soon." I said, smiling at her. She looked like she was about to say something, but alas, it was drowned out by Abby's excited shouts, as she ran up to us.

"Void! There it is! There's our first step on this journey, the gym!" She said, her voice high pitched with excitement, as she tried to drag me by the arm towards it. After a few seconds, I chuckled, and allowed myself to be lead towards the gym building. When she stopped, we were standing in front of the doors. She looked at me excitedly, and I couldn't help but share her mood.

"Well guys, this is it! As soon as we step through these doors, our journey will officially have begun. Our goal is to beat all eight gyms, get the eight badges, and take on the pokemon league! Are you all ready?" I asked, addressing everybody with an encouraging grin. Everybody cheered, even Kazumi, who appeared to have calmed down after noticing something about Christa. Even though she wasn't exactly cheering, Christa appeared to be quite happy that everyone else seemed so happy. After a few more seconds of giving a pep talk, I turned back towards the gym and pressed on, nearly walking into the closed door as it refused to open. Confused, I looked into the Windows, only to see that the lights were off. I was about to knock on the door, until Mitsuki tapped me on the shoulder, pointing at a piece of paper stuck to the wall. confused as to how I had missed it. Reading it, I began to frown as I saw the quickly scrawled note.

 _Dear Challengers,_

 _I regret to inform you, I am closing the gym for the time being, as I am leaving the city for a little while. I hope this has not caused too much trouble, and I hope to be able to accept your challenges in the future._

 _Sincerely,_

 _F._

I could feel my excitement start to drain as my eyes scanned over the words. Looking over at Abby, I saw that I wasn't the only one, as she was also reading the note. I sighed and stepped back, lightly shaking my head.

"Void, what's wrong, aren't you going to go in and win your first badge?" Christa asked, frowning slightly and looking a bit confused. I shrugged, before turning to everyone else.

"I'm sorry everybody, it looks like the gym is closed, we aren't going to be able to have our gym battle today." I said, getting a collective groan from the group.

"W-what are we going to do now? I was really looking forward to showing you what me, Rose, and Mitsuki have learned!" Abby said, looking slightly depressed. Raising an eyebrow, I looked at Mitsuki and Rose, and they nodded, also looking a little depressed.

"Well, we could go to the next gym in Oreburgh City..." I said, getting their attention. Abby's ears perked up, while Mitsuki and Rose's eyes widened. "The only problem is that it would be a two day walk from here to there. If you want to do that, we can." I said, looking up from my map.

"Void, you were the one that gave us all a place to feel cared for, I would gladly travel to the ends of the world with you, and I'm sure everyone else feels the same. If you want to go to Oreburgh City, we would definitely follow you!" Abby said, smiling sweetly at me. I smiled back, before looking at the others. They all nodded, smiling at me, all except for Mitsuki, who was looking down, not meeting my eyes. I looked at her, seeing her mixed emotions.

"What's wrong Mitsuki, you look like you have something on your mind." I said looking at her questioningly. She sighed, not looking me in the eyes. A few seconds later, she turned towards me, looking apologetically at me.

"I'm sorry Void, I'm just nervous. We've lived in the cave for so long, the idea of traveling far is a little daunting. Don't worry, of coarse I'll go with you, no matter where you want to go." She said, giving me a smile, although she still looked nervous. Feeling bad for making her feel this way, I thought for a few seconds.

"Mitsuki, if it makes you feel better, we could always stop by the cave." I said. She smiled, but shook her head.

"N-no, its ok, you wanted to go to Oreburgh City, I wouldn't want to drag you out of the way of your original destination." She said, smiling at me still.

"Oh, don't worry about it, we would be going that way anyways, I would be happy to stop by so you could see the cave again if you wanted to. Maybe we could even camp out in there!" I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"T-thank you, if you're sure it won't be too much trouble, I'd really appreciate it." She said, blushing. Deciding there was nothing more to do at the closed gym, we all headed down the streets, before coming to the dense woods that bordered the city and lead to Oreburgh City. Having already decided on going to Mitsuki's and Hikage's old cave, I let them lead the way, as I still wasn't that confident I would be able to find it again. Even though me and the others had difficulties walking through the shrubs and bushes, Mitsuki and Hikage didn't, traveling easily, showing their experience in traversing the rough terrain. A few more tiring minutes, and we arrived in front of the cave entrance. After everyone except for me, Mitsuki, and Abby went in, I turned and smiled at the silent Zoroark.

"So Mitsuki, how does it feel to be back here again?" I asked, smiling softly at her. She stayed quiet for a few seconds, and upon looking closer, I could see that she was crying. "M-Mitsuki?" I asked, fearing that it had been a mistake to bring her back to the place that so many bad things had happened, until she pulled me into a hug, burying her face into my shoulder. Abby began to growl quietly, until I shot her a warning look. A few seconds later, Mitsuki pulled back from the hug.

"I-I'm sorry." She said, throwing Abby an apologetic look, causing Abby to calm down slightly. "It's just... T-thank you for taking me back here. I know I should hate this place after all that's happened, but no matter how many things went wrong, nothing can change the fact that the happiest moment of my life happened here; Hikage hatched." She said, tears of motherly love falling from her eyes. When she saw my look of confusion, she continued. "You see, when I escaped from my previous trainer, I grabbed the only remaining egg I laid, and took off into these woods. I may not have originally wanted children, but there was no way I was going to leave my child in the hands of that monster! After stumbling through the woods with the egg, I eventually found this cave, and I set up my home here. About a week later, I returned from my daily foraging trip, only to find a little Zorua sitting in a pile of broken egg shells. When he looked at me, I instantly forgot my misgivings, as that moment had made me the happiest I had ever been!" She said, smiling to herself and wiping away her tears. I patted her shoulder, and Abby hugged her.

"Well, I'm happy that I helped, but let's get inside, the sun is starting to set, and it will be getting dark soon. Come on, I'll get out the snacks!" I said, watching as the sun began to sink out of sight, filling the sky with bursts of oranges and pinks. Abby and Mitsuki smiled, nodding and following me back inside the diamond filled cave.

 _Christa's POV_

Kazumi floated in front of me, looking impatiently at me as I yet again avoided her questions of what I was hiding. By now, her questioning had caught the attention of everyone else, and I could feel their curious eyes on me from all sides.

"Come on Christa, you were supposed to tell us what you're hiding after the gym battle. We couldn't have the battle, but that doesn't mean you can't tell us!" Kazumi said, looking annoyed.

"Christa? What does she mean, are you hiding something from us? Don't worry, whatever it is, you can tell us, we won't judge you." Rose said, smiling soothingly.

"What?! Of course we'll judge her! If she's been hiding whatever it is for this long, it must be something big! It could bring us a lot of trouble down the road!" Kazumi said, giving her an incredulous look.

"Tell us! Tell us!" Hikage begged, running around in circles excitedly. I began to back up, starting to feel nervous. When I bumped into a wall, I closed my eyes tightly, as I tried to will everything to just go back to normal. Hearing a collective gasp, my eyes shot open and I looked around. Everybody was staring at me as if I had grown a second head. Looking into a crystal on the wall, I looked at my reflection, only to see a pair of small pink ears on top of my head. I slid down the wall, until I was sitting, and my head was rested on my knees.

"What's going on in here?!" A voice coming from the entrance to the cave said. When I saw who it was, I looked up, feeling relieved. Void looked at me, immediately making his way over. He pulled me aside, making sure we were out of earshot from the others. "What happened, are you ok?" He asked, looking at me in concern. Wiping my eyes, I quickly told him about what had just happened. He frowned, and sighed, rubbing his temples. "Well, there's nothing I can do to try and keep your secret anymore, as you unintentionally revealed it, but what I CAN do, is talk to Kazumi about the trouble she caused, and if you want, I'll be right next to you when you tell everybody." He said, smiling soothingly at me. I nodded, wiping my eyes again.

"Y-yes please, and thank you Void." I said giving him a hug. He smiled, before turning, and leading me back to the others. The sound of anxious chatter and the nervous looks they gave me made me sad, as I realized that nothing would be the same. I walked in front of everybody and stopped, facing them. Knowing that it would be easier to just show them, I closed my eyes and focused, dropping my disguise. The anxious chatter stopped, and when I opened my eyes, everyone was looking at me in shock, and a few even nervously bowed, much to my disappointment.

"L-Lady Mew, what are you doing here?! You're the creator of all pokemon, w-why would you be interested in us?" Rose asked, still bowing. I floated there for a few seconds, silently looking down at my feet, before explaining why I had been sent here, and how I had already failed. They all listened in shocked silence, looking at me in awe, as if I was a god. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, I flew away from everyone, landing a fair distance away, and sitting by myself.

 _Void's POV_

I watched as Christa flew away, feeling saddened to see her like this. Looking around, I spotted Kazumi off to the side, with a look of shock on her face. I walked over to her, giving her a disappointed look. When she saw me, her shock turned to a look of regret. "Kazumi! I'm disappointed with you. I told you that she would tell you the truth. That didn't mean for you to force her to!" I said, as she looked away. "And What's this about having to judge her? I am sorry if I sound rude, but that's not up to you! If you or anybody else has a problem with anyone, come to me, and I will look into it, do I make myself clear?" I asked, looking her in the eyes. She timidly nodded.

"I-I'm sorry Void, but I thought it would be important for us not to have secrets that might put everyone in danger, that's why I suggested that we decide if her secret was too dangerous." She said, stammering a bit, and not meeting my gaze. My eyes widened, and I looked at her incredulously.

"Wait, are you saying that you don't trust me to keep you all safe? I told you before, I was well aware of the secret she was hiding from you all. Do you really think I would let her travel with us if she meant us harm?" I asked, and she looked down, shaking her head.

"N-no, I'm sorry Void, I didn't mean to question you like that." Kazumi said, looking back up at me. I sighed, rubbing my temples, before shaking my head.

"I appreciate you apologising, but I'm not the one you should apologize to. You put Christa in a lot of emotional stress, I think you should be apologising to her." I said, looking at her sternly. She nodded, before flying off in the direction that Christa had went off in. I watched for a few seconds, before setting up some sleeping bags, then going out to collect some wood for a fire.

 _Christa's POV_

I sat there on a quiet ledge jetting from the cave wall, watching as everyone stood together, talking quietly. The sound of something scraping against the wall made me jump, and when I looked, I saw Kazumi flying towards me. She landed next to me, and for a few seconds, neither of us said anything. I was about to fly away, thinking that she was going to try and start something, until she shocked me.

"I-I'm sorry about before." She said, barely over a whisper. I stopped, and slowly turned to look at her. She was biting her lip, looking nervous. I frowned, looking at her, before a thought came to my mind.

"Did Void put you up to this, did he tell you to apologize to me?" I asked, giving her a skeptical look, and her eyes widened. She quickly shook her head.

"No! W-well, maybe... But he was right! You told him to tell me that you would let everyone know the truth, but I took it upon myself to force you to tell everyone, and I really am sorry." She said, looking me in the eyes. I nodded, looking away.

"N-no, I'm sorry. I wanted to travel with you all, and expected to be trusted, while the whole time, I was keeping the biggest secret from all of you! I guess I can't really blame anyone but myself for all that happened. You just wanted to be safe." I said, smiling weakly at her. She blinked a few times, before looking relieved that I didn't blame her. Then, a couple seconds later, her relief gave way to confusion.

"H-hey Christa, if you don't mind me asking, why did you keep your identity a secret from us anyways?" She asked, looking curious. I sighed, before nodding at her.

"I-I don't mind. I guess... I guess I just wanted to be normal. Since I gave life to pokemon, everyone just seems to throw praise my way, as if I was someone special. I don't feel special like that, I was just doing what I was asked to do." I said, looking off to the side. Kazumi gave me sad look, but I didn't pay much attention to it."I'm just going to get some sleep now." I said, laying down. She nodded and started to fly away, before turning back towards me.

"Why don't you come and sleep down here with everyone else?" She asked, giving me a small, sincere smile. I looked at her for a few seconds, before shaking my head.

"No, that's fine. No one would be that comfortable if I did, but thank you for offering, I really do appreciate it." I said, trying to get comfortable. Kazumi floated back towards me.

"Ok then, at least let me sleep up here too. I caused you a lot of stress from what I did earlier, and I wouldn't feel right if you have to sleep away from everybody." She said, and I blushed slightly, having had no one treat me with genuine kindness like this before. I smiled softly, and scooted over a little, giving her some room. She gently laid down, letting her ribbon like tail rest on my side, and a few seconds later, the sound of her gentle breathing let me know she was sleeping. I took a last look around the cave. The cave entrance was gone, most likely having been concealed by Mitsuki's illusions. She was sitting near the fire, Hikage and Rose were next to her. Abby was sharing some chocolate covered Oran berries with Void, who having probably felt my gaze, looked over towards me, smiling when he saw me. I looked down at Kazumi. At least I could count on her to still treat me normal. With a final smile, I put my head down and closed my eyes and went to sleep. It wasn't long before I opened them again, only to find that I wasn't in the cave anymore. I looked around, before my eyes fell on a disappointed looking Arceus.

 **Hello everybody, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I just wanted to say, I may be doing another story besides this one. The story is going to be a Minecraft story. If it turns out well, the first chapter will be uploaded. As for my other story called 'Spirit', I am definitely putting it on an indefinite hiatus, as I can not seem to come up with new ideas for it. I don't know when I'll continue it, but I'll definitely try to. I am sorry to anyone who liked 'Spirit'. I hope you have a wonderful day/night/whenever, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Please remember to review, as they let me know how I am doing.**

 **~spudbud16**


	20. Chapter 18

**Before I begin this chapter, I want to take the time to thank everyone for sticking around this story for as long as you have. I remember just starting out on this story, it being only an idea I decided to write down. Back then, I had no idea really how to write fanfics, as shown by me when I didn't space out the characters' dialogue. Even though I had made it difficult to read, you all stuck by me, helping me to improve. It's hard to believe that such an amateur story such as this one, has already gained 12 reviews, 27 followers, 18 favorites, and 7,414 views! Void's Odyssey has even managed to make it into a community! One of the people I would really love to thank, is IZ Techz IZ. Not only did he give me a lot of good advice when I needed it, he kept me motivated to continue this story. If you get the chance, please take a look at his stories, as they are really good. Once again, I would like to thank you all for sticking around, as you have made this story what it is today. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 18 of Void's Odyssey!**

Chapter 18

 _Christa's POV_

I looked at the disappointed creator, suddenly feeling nervous. When I tried to speak, Arceus shook her head, and I shut my mouth. For the next minute or so, the atmosphere felt tense, and I nervously wrapped my tail around my body.

"Mew, tell me, do you know why I have called you here?" She asked, sighing after a minute. I bit my lip, looking wearily into her eyes, nodding slowly.

"Y-yes, I believe I know why. I have failed the task that that you gave to me, I let Void get hurt when I could have easily prevented it." I said, keeping my gaze locked onto hers. She nodded, giving me a serious look.

"Exactly. However, not only have you failed your task, but you have disrespected me by going against a direct order. You were my most trusted partner. The mission I gave you wasn't hard, and I am pretty sure I was clear on what you had to do; You had to protect Void, make sure he didn't get hurt, yet you still went against me. Please tell me, why did you do this, if I can understand why, I might choose a smaller punishment." She said, looking almost hurt, as if me not doing what I was asked to had saddened her.

"P-punishment?!" I asked, my eyes wide. "Why must I be punished?!" I asked, starting to become afraid. Arceus looked at me as if it was obvious.

"You're being punished because you have undermined me! It wouldn't be fair to the others if you could get away with it, and they couldn't. Look, I respect you, you've been by my side since the beginning, but that does not mean I can give you special treatment. I have to be fair, do you understand?" She asked, looking at me with soft eyes, and I nodded."Now, could you please explain to me what happened?" Arceus asked, looking at me quizzically. I sighed, nodding, before telling her about what had happened in the past, and my fear of pokéballs that was a direct result of that incident. She listened closely, before her eyes flashed with anger. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?! I could have helped you, I could have taken care of that person so that they would never try anything like that again!" She said. I shook my head sadly, and she gave me an incredulous look.

"I-I'm sorry Lady Arceus, but I couldn't have told you, and you know that." I said, looking at her sheepishly, worried that she would be angry at me for speaking up. "You and I both know, you would've done something that you would have later regretted." I said. Arceus looked like she was going to deny what I had just said, before she sighed, nodding and seeming to see reason in it.

"You're right, but isn't that my job, to protect the ones I care about?" She asked, looking tired, as if all the world's troubles had finally caught up to her.

"I-I guess, but that boy doesn't deserve your ire. You have to understand, it is in every trainer's nature to be the best. By catching a legendary, he would have cemented himself as a strong trainer. Sure, he broke my trust, and sure, he left me with a mental scar, but do I blame him? No, anyone would have done the same thing in his shoes. It was my fault for letting my guard down, I shouldn't have been so blindly trusting." I said, lowering my eyes. Arceus frowned, nodding slowly, before looking to be deep in thought. With a final sigh, she looked at me with some regret.

"I am sorry that happened to you, I really am, but I am afraid you still need to be punished." She said, sounding almost torn. I nodded, looking down in my sadness.

"I-I understand, I disobeyed you, you have to do this." I said, looking into her eyes. She smiled, looking relieved that I had understood.

"Thank you for understanding. I have come to a decision on your punishment. You are not going to like it, but it is better then what I originally planned to do before you told me what happened. I originally planned to order you to stay away from Void, and I would send someone else to protect him, but now, I realise just how much traveling with him will help you." She said, pausing for a few seconds. "So instead, I have come up with a better punishment." Arceus said, as her eyes began to glow purple. I closed my eyes, expecting some kind of pain, but was relieved when I felt none. However, my relief was short lived, for as soon as I opened my eyes, Arceus set a small object down in front of me. When my eyes fell on it, I backed up, my eyes widening in fright.

"N-no! Please, not that! I get that I have to be punished, but please not that!" I begged, looking pleadingly at Arceus. She frowned, looking pained, but she shook her head, her eyes glowing green. My vision began to fade, and I fell to the ground, feeling to tired to fly. When my eyes finally closed, Arceus sighed.

"I'm sorry, but my decision is final, and it's for the best." She said, before I was forced to sleep. When they opened again, I was back in the cave, laying next to the peacefully sleeping Kazumi, who had rested her tail around me like a makeshift blanket. I sat up and looked around, hoping that the talk with Arceus was just a dream, me feeling guilty for disobeying her, but my heart dropped when my gaze fell on the object she had given me. In the corner of the ledge we had been sleeping on, laying in the shadows, was a Master Ball. I fell on my knees, tears falling down my cheeks as I felt myself beginning to cry. I must have been a little to loud, for Kazumi let out a squeaky little yawn, slowly waking up. She looked at me in confusion, but when she saw that I was crying, her confusion turned into concern.

"Christa! What's wrong?" She asked, rewrapping her tail around me. Losing control of my emotions, I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She gasped in surprise, but a few seconds later, her eyes closed, and I saw her blush slightly. I stayed with my arms around her for a few more minutes, then I slowly stepped back, wiping my eyes free of the tears. With a final sniffle, I looked at her.

"S-sorry for waking you up like this, but while you're awake, can I ask you a question? You've been around Void the least so far, so your answer should be the least biased, but do you think he is a good person, a good trainer even?" I asked her, looking intently at her, waiting for her answer. Kazumi clicked her tongue, looking to be in deep thought.

"Wow, that's a pretty loaded question. Hm, well, let's see. I'd say he's a good person. I wouldn't be able to say if he's a good trainer or not, as we haven't really had any battles." She said, looking thoughtful. "Y-your not getting a crush on him are you?" She asked, her voice hitching in her throat slightly. My eyes widened, and I shook my head quickly.

"N-no! No, of coarse not, that's not why I asked at all!" I said, and she sighed, with what seemed to be relief flashing across her face, confusing me. I was about to ask, but when she realized what she did, she quickly looked away.

"S-so, why do you ask then, if not for that reason?" She asked, blushing slightly in embarrassment. I sighed, looking back towards the Master Ball again, feeling the need to cry again.

"W-well, remember what I said about Arceus sending me to protect Void?" I asked, and Kazumi's embarrassment began to fade, being replaced by worried curiosity.

"Yeah, w-why? Did something happen last night while I was sleeping? I swear! If anybody did something, I'll..." She said, cutting herself off by puffing out her cheeks and looking angry. I couldn't help but smile slightly, flattered by the way she seemed to care.

"No, w-well not exactly. For awhile, I disobeyed Arceus, deciding to keep my distance from Void. Disappointed with me, Arceus decided that I needed to be punished. So last night, in my sleep, she brought me in front of her, and gave me the punishment." I said, gently rolling the Master Ball out of the corner and in front of Kazumi. She looked down, her eyes going wide when she saw it.

"D-does this mean..." She started to say, and I nodded, sighing loudly.

"Y-yes, Arceus has decided that I should be caught. Do you think you could do me a favor?" I asked, and she nodded right away, giving me a sad look. I sighed again. "Arceus has basically ordered me to be captured. Knowing Void won't like this, I-I guess I'll try to capture myself. Can you please keep this ball away from Void for awhile?" I asked, shaking slightly due to nerves. Kazumi gave me a nod, but still looked at me in confusion.

"W-wait, what about your fear of pokéballs? I thought you hated them." She said, and I nodded, gulping, trying to hold back tears.

"I do, that's why I want to keep this away from Void for awhile, so I can try to get used to it. He'd immediately let me out." I said, before walking forward. Giving her one last hug, I silently closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed the bottom on the ball with my tail. I whimpered as a bright red light shot forward and engulfed me. The last thing I saw, was a worried Kazumi, then, everything went dark.

 _Void's POV_

I opened my eyes, expecting to wake up next to Abby, seeing her smiling face looking at me, but instead, I opened my eyes to see what looked to be Arceus's Pool of Beginnings. Confused, I sat up and looked around, only to see that I was indeed in the Hall of Origins. Looking towards the throne, I saw that Arceus was sitting there, staring into the reflective surface of the water, appearing to be deep in thought. I cleared my throat, trying to catch her attention. She seemed to startle a bit, looking down at me, as if noticing me for the first time.

"Ah, Void, you're awake. Sorry about that, I was just thinking about something." She said, looking away for a few seconds. I looked closely at her, and was shocked that she appeared to be troubled by something.

"Hello, Lady Arceus, you seem to be bothered about something, is everything ok?" I asked, looking at her in concern. I couldn't help think about how funny this scenario was. Here I was, a semi normal human being, talking to Arceus, the literal creator of the world, as if it was completely normal. She sighed, looking at me with a frown.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm just trying to figure out if I truly did the right thing when I talked to Mew earlier this morning, that look of fright she gave me is still haunting me..." She said, her voice sounding melancholy. When she mentioned 'Mew', I perked up.

"Wait, 'Mew', do you mean Christa?" I asked, receiving a look of confusion from Arceus.

"Christa? I'm afraid I don't know who you mean. Anyways, When I called Mew in to talk about her punishment, I came up with one, but I can't help but wonder if I made an erroneously in judgment." She said, making me worry.

"Why did you punish Christa? What did she do wrong?" I asked, only for Arceus to look at me as if it was obvious.

"I'm going to assume that this 'Christa' is Mew. She ignored a direct order from me. I told her to protect you, and she ignored me, allowing you to get hurt. Sure she had her reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that you could have been seriously hurt." She said, with an edge to her voice.

"She didn't need to be punished! She was terrified of people, and she wanted to know if she could really trust me. Yes, you told her to protect me, but according to her when she first introduced herself to me, you didn't tell her much about me at all. She never met me before." I said, and Arceus flinched slightly, as if she had forgotten something.

"You do have a point there. I thought you could use the help as soon as possible, so when she asked for information, I just told her what you looked like, and sent her on her way, but shouldn't she have trust in me to know who is good or bad?" She asked, looking at me intently, and I gave her a questioning look.

"Would you trust someone instantly before meeting them? Christa has already gone through that once, and look how that turned out last time." I said, and she looked away in realization, and I was once again reminded of the absurdity of this all. "So, what was the punishment anyways?" I asked, looking at her curiously. She flinched, looking away for a few seconds, before turning back to me.

"I-I may have given her a Master Ball and told her to get you to capture her." She said, actually looking nervous. My eyes snapped open wide, and I was about to yell, when someone else beat me to it.

"You did WHAT?!" Said the newcomer, shocking both Arceus and I, making us turn and look towards the offending sound. Standing off to the right, was a taller, meaner looking version of Christa. Arceus, upon seeing this new pokemon, looked dismayed.

"Mewtwo! W-what are you doing here?" She asked, looking nervous. 'Mewtwo' stepped forward, walking up to Arceus as if he did so everyday. When he stopped, he glared at her.

"I was worried when I picked up on a lot of mental anguish coming from Mew, but when all signs of her mind disappeared, I didn't know why and became worried." He said. Turning towards me, he continued. "If my hunch is correct, she didn't want you to stop her from doing what Star here wanted her to do." He said, and I raised my eyebrow at the nickname he had randomly given to Arceus, who actually blushed slightly. "Void, please release Mew and destroy that ball. Mew does not deserve to be kept in a pokéball like that!" He said, giving Arceus another glare. Arceus looked down, her eyes beginning to turn green, as I felt myself begin to wake up.

"Void, please tell her that I am truly sorry for any pain I caused her." Arceus said, before my eyes closed. When they opened, I instantly jumped up and looked around, disturbing Abby's sleep. She looked at me questioningly, but I ignored the look, running for the direction I had seen Christa and Kazumi last night. Seeing Kazumi, I ran up to her, startling her.

"Kazumi! Where is Christa?!" I asked, trying to catch my breath. Kazumi gulped loudly, nervously looking side to side. A few seconds later, she seemed to come up with an idea.

"G-good morning Void, Christa just went for some fresh air, she said something about it being too cramped in here." She said, giving me a smile, though I could see that it was forced. Rubbing my eyes in annoyance, I gave up, deciding to check on the ledge. Seeing me beginning to climb, Kazumi became worried. "Void! W-what are you doing?! Get down, you'll get hurt!" She said, her eyes wide. I ignored her, continuing the climb, and eventually getting to the top. When I made it, I found what I was looking for, a purple and white pokéball, hidden in the shadows. Grabbing it, I looked down, noticing that the drop wasn't as bad as the climb. Holding onto the ball tightly, I jumped, landing awkwardly, before getting up and brushing myself off. Looking at the sheepish Chimecho, I shook my head.

"We'll talk about this later..." I said, holding up the ball and clicking the release button. A few seconds later, Christa's form materialized in front of us, and she looked around, still shaking like a leaf. Seeing her in such a state, I gently grabbed her out of the air, hugging her close to me, causing her to let out a small squeak. When she realized she was free of the ball, she began to cry against me. Kazumi floated a few feet away, looking like she wanted to join in. I nodded to her, and she quickly flew forward, wrapping Christa's waist with her tail in an attempt to hug her. This went on for a few more minutes, before Christa pulled away, looking at me with teary eyes.

"W-why did you release me? You don't understand, I-I have to be inside the pokéball!" She said, sniffling slightly. I shook my head, looking her straight in the eyes. I could see that she was still shaking, most likely from nerves.

"You're wrong. I do understand. However, Arceus was wrong to punish you like that." I said, and she looked at Kazumi, giving her a hurt expression, causing her to flinch. Seeing this, I quickly shook my head. "Kazumi didn't tell me anything, she didn't even need to." I said, and Christa snapped her eyes towards me, looking deeply into mine.

"I-if that's true, then how could you possibly know that Arceus had decided to punish me? How did you know I was inside the pokéball?" She asked, looking at me in shock. I went on to explain how I had awoken in the Hall of Origins, and how Arceus had told me of what she had done. Christa looked at me closely, as if trying to see if I was lying. When she was fairly satisfied, she gave me a questioning look. "D-does this mean that I am no longer being punished?" She asked, looking hopeful. When I nodded, she let out a small cheer, and I couldn't help but smile at her suddenly cheerful attitude, and the smile on her face. With a chuckle, I looked at her.

"Now, how about we all have some celebratory Poképuffs! They can't stay in the box forever, Christa!" I said, getting a nod from the very happy Mew. With that, we headed for the main area of the cave.

 _Christa's POV_

We split the poképuffs between all of us, each of us getting two. When we were finished, I turned to Kazumi to ask her how hers were, only to find that she was no longer there. Confused, I excused myself from the others, explaining to Void where I was going. He nodded, asking if I needed any help. I shook my head, before flying off in search of her. She wasn't that hard to find, having flown up to the ledge we had slept on the previous night, I landed next to her. "Hey Kazumi, is everything ok?" I asked, looking at her in concern. She looked up at me with a sad gaze, and I knew something wasn't right. She sighed, before looking back down again.

"A-am I really so untrustworthy that you immediately thought I would go against my word to you?" She asked, looking at me with great sadness, though she also looked genuinely concerned. I froze, suddenly feeling horrible for doubting her like I did.

"N-no! Of course not!" I said, shaking my head and bringing her into a hug. She sighed and relaxed into the hug, though she still didn't look all that convinced. With a bit of wiggling, she looked up at me again.

"So why did you seem to blame me before? If I'm not untrustworthy, then why was I the one you immediately thought of?" She asked, looking at me with a hurt expression. I sighed, holding her closer, before closing my eyes.

"I-I guess, you were the only one I told about Arceus punishing me, so when Void suddenly knew about where I was, and what had happened, I instantly thought that you had maybe let it slip. I'm sorry for blaming you like that." I said, patting her back with my paw. She blushed slightly and smiled, looking me in the eyes. I couldn't help but feel my cheeks start to heat up when she looked at me like that. She moved back, looking at me intently for a few seconds.

"That's ok, b-but Christa, can I say something really quick?" She asked, her cheeks still red from the blush. I nodded, giving her a welcoming smile. She gulped, looking from side to side, before sighing, seeming to give up. "A-actually, forget it, never mind." She said, shaking her head, as if to get rid of whatever she was thinking. I frowned, about to ask her what she was going to say, when Void called us over, saying that it was time for us to head out for Oreburgh City. I looked back to Kazumi, only to see her flying away towards Void. I sighed, following her, and about five minutes later, we were on the move again.

 _Kazumi's POV_

I silently beat myself up, hating myself for not going through with what I had planned to do. I had finally built up enough courage to tell Christa that I liked her, but backed out at the last moment. " _Stupid, stupid, stupid!"_ I said under my breath, wanting to just curl up and die.

"Woah, did I just hear you call yourself stupid? What's wrong, what's got you beating yourself up?" Asked Mitsuki, who had previously been walking behind me, but was now right next to me. I sighed, giving up keeping everything to myself.

"I completely blew it! I got the chance to tell the one I like that I liked them but I blew it, chickened out if you will!" I said, looking down. Mitsuki put a hand on my head, giving me a smile.

"What are you so worried about, I'm sure any guy..." She started to say, but froze when I glared at her. "Or girl, would like you, I mean, what's not to like?" She said, correcting herself. I frowned, looking away. "So, whose the girl you've got your eyes on, hm?" She asked. When I didn't answer, her eyes widened. "I-it's not me is it?! I mean, I'd be flattered and all, but I see you more as an adoptive daughter then someone to love like that!" She said, taking a slight step back. I chuckled, but shook my head. Knowing that Mitsuki thought of me as a sort of daughter, I felt more comfortable talking to her about all of this. "So, who is it then?" Mitsuki asked, looking at me in anticipation. Blushing, I slowly looked at Christa, feeling a tiny little dopey smile form on my face. Following my gaze, Mitsuki's eyes widened. "Christa?!" She said loudly, immediately covering her mouth when I glared at her. Christa, upon hearing her name, looked back. A few seconds later, she shrugged, before turning around again. I waited a few seconds to be sure she wasn't listening, and then gave a sigh.

"Y-yeah, but it doesn't really matter anyways, she helped create everything, why would she like me in any way except a friend anyways." I said, feeling ready to cry.

"How dare you think like that! You go over there and tell her how you really feel!" Mitsuki said, giving me a stern glare. I gulped, my eyes as wide as dinner plates, as I had never seen her yell at anyone like this.

"B-but, but... Do you really think she'd return my feelings?" I asked, my voice wavering in my nervousness. Mitsuki's gaze softened, and she put her hand on my head again.

"From what I gathered from Christa, she is the type that wouldn't want to do anything that could hurt her friendships with anyone. For all you and I know, she could like you the same way, but is just too afraid of what you may think of her, but you will never know unless you tell her the truth. Now, go over there and do just that!" She said, giving me a small push in the direction of Christa. I gave Mitsuki a quick, nervous smile, then flew over to Christa.

When I was right next to her, Christa looked over, giving me a smile. "Hey Kazumi, what can I do for you? Are you ok? You look pretty nervous." She said, giving me a look of concern. I took a deep breath, before looking her in the eyes.

"C-Christa, c-can I tell you something? It's about this morning, I really wanted to talk to you about something that's really important." I said, looking pleadingly at her. She looked at me for a few seconds, before her gaze gave way to weariness.

"Are you actually going to tell me this time? You're not going to change your mind again, are you?" She asked, her tone light, but I could tell how confused she was. I could feel Mitsuki staring at me, so, taking another deep breath, I began.

"W-well, you see, the truth is, I-I kind of..." I started to say, before Void, who was just up ahead, froze, looking alert.

"Void, what's wrong, what's happening?" Christa asked, asking me to hold on. Void just stood there, his hand up for silence. After a few seconds, he looked around.

"Something's wrong... Do you hear that?" He asked, eyes narrowing. Everyone fell silent, and I listened, feeling confused, and a little annoyed at being cut off.

"No... I don't hear anything." I said, a hint of confusion in my voice. His eyes snapped towards me, and he nodded.

"Exactly... We're in the middle of the woods, shouldn't we hear the bird types singing? I don't know about you, but I haven't seen any wild pokemon around either. It's almost as if they're... Hiding." He said, looking tense. Christa was immediately at high alert, flying in front of Void to protect him. Suddenly, from our left, the sounds of rustling drew our attention. Void turned to Christa, looking worried. "Christa! I need you to hide, NOW!" He said, calling Abby and Mitsuki to stand next to him. Christa looked shocked, her jaw opening, but she was silent for a few seconds.

"B-but Void! I was tasked with protecting you, I can't just hide and let you get hurt!" She protested, but it fell on deaf ears. She looked to be about to ignore him, but I flew in front of her, blocking her path. "I'm sorry Kazumi, but move! I HAVE to protect Void, I have to help him!" She said, glaring at me and trying to get past me. I held my ground, glaring back at her.

"Then do what he says! You won't be able to help him if you get captured. What WILL help him, is if he knows you are safe, what will help him, is if he knows that he can count on you to turn things around if he needs you to!" I shouted at her, her eyes widening for a few seconds, before she sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"I-I guess you're right... Say, when did you get to be so smart?" She asked, giving me a quick hug, and I blushed slightly.

I-I'm not, I just don't see the reason in you getting hurt!" I said, nudging her in the opposite direction, only to come face to face with an Absol, a sneer on his face.

"Well, well, well, if that's not the cutest thing I've ever heard! I'm afraid however, the Mew is gonna have to come with me!" He said, laughing cruelly. I moved back slightly, turning to call for help, only to see that Void and the others were busy dealing with another Absol that had arrived. While I had my back turned, I heard a screech of pain from behind me. Whipping around, I saw that the Absol had grabbed Christa's arm in his jaws, and was running off with her. Putting on a sudden burst of speed, I chased after them. Panicking, I attacked, using Take Down on the Absol. Not expecting such a small pokemon to attack him, the Absol yelped and let go of Christa, flying through the air, and letting out a short whine when he hit a tree, before falling silent. I flinched when I heard the crunch of his head hitting the tree, until I saw Christa laying on the ground, her arm heavily bleeding, and her breathing shallow. I wanted to help, but I was in to much shock to use Heal Bell.

"C-Christa! P-please be ok, don't leave me!" I pleaded, my eyes starting to water. When she didn't answer, I curled up around her as close as I could, beginning to cry. "D-don't worry Christa, I'll p-protect you, I won't let anyone hurt you!" I sobbed, cuddling up to her and keeping watch.

 _Void's POV_

I quickly looked around, relieved to find that Christa had done what I said. Satisfied in that knowledge, I turned back to our aggressors, firing an Aura Sphere just to the left of the Absol closest to me, causing her to yelp. She looked at me in shock and disgust. Ignoring the look, I glared at her. "Why in Arceus's name are you attacking us for no reason?!" I asked, firing another Aura Sphere to block her Razor Wind. She glared at me, bearing her teeth at me.

"No reason?! Your kind is proof of how people perverse the special bonds us pokemon have for humans. Instead, humans always want more, and so they force themselves on us! What self respecting pokemon would actually love a human and let themselves carry the young of a completely different species!" She said, jumping forward using Bight. Before I could even move, Abby was in front of me, holding her arm out, taking the Bight to her arm. She winced, but stood her ground, glaring at the Absol that was still hanging onto her arm. The Absol could only look up with wide eyes, as she knew that she had left herself open to attack.

"Y-you're wrong... There is nothing wrong with a human and a pokemon falling in love. There is a such thing as mutual love! I for one, love Void, and I know for a fact that he loves me too. I don't care what anyone thinks about it!" Abby said, smiling at me before throwing the Absol to the ground.

"Y-yeah? Well it doesn't matter, because while you've been wasting your time with me, my partner has been going after your little Mew!" She said, chuckling darkly, coughing slightly. I glared at her, taking a step towards her, forming an Aura Sphere in my hands. Her eyes lit up. "Yes, go ahead, kill me, take out your rage on me!" She said, giving me an odd look. "However, even if you kill me, it won't mean anything! Team Lotus will go on!" She said, a manic smile on her face. I stopped, looking down at my hand, before sighing.

"No..." I said, shaking my head and turning away and gathering everyone around me.

"W-what?" The Absol asked, the smile starting to fade from her face, being replaced with actual confusion. "Why not?" She asked, her voice wavering. Walking away, I stopped, and without looking back, I answered her.

"Because, I'm not that kind of person." I said, and with that, we all walked away, searching for where Kazumi and Christa had gone. A sobbing call of help caused me to run towards the sound, and when I got there, I felt my heart drop, and I nearly fell to my knees. Halfway in a bush, Christa was laying in a pool of blood, and Kazumi sat there, wrapped around her, not caring that she was being soaked in it. I could tell she was in shock, because even though she had called out for help, whenever we tried to approach Christa, Kazumi would attack us. I eventually had to get Mitsuki to hold her and try to calm her down while I looked at Christa.

Christa was in bad shape. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was very shallow. She looked to be a paler shade of pink than usual, and I could see that she had lost a lot of blood from the deep wound on her arm. I quickly took my shirt off, wrapping her tightly in it. "Hey Christa, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but we'll get you to the pokécenter, I promise." I said, before taking off towards Oreburgh City, whose buildings could be seen over the trees.

 **Here's chapter 18, I really hope you enjoyed it. I would once again like to thank every one of you for sticking around for so long, you all are awesome, and are the reason I enjoy writing so much. I would also like to say, if you enjoy Minecraft stories, I have started and uploaded a Minecraft story by the name of 'Crafting a New World'. If anyone would be interested in that kind of story, please check it out. Again, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you later!**

 **~spudbud16**


	21. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 _Void's POV_

I ran through the woods, Christa wrapped in my shirt, which was now soaked in blood from her wounded arm. Abby and the others were right behind me, keeping their eyes open for any more surprise attacks. My legs felt like they were on fire, but I kept running. Soon, the entrance to Oreburgh City came into sight. I ran into the building connecting the forest to the city. Sitting at a desk, a man wearing a guard uniform looked up in alarm at the commotion I was causing.

"F-freeze!" He shouted, causing me to stop and look at him pleadingly. His eyes widened when he saw Christa wrapped in my shirt in my arms. I quickly caught my breath.

"P-please sir, I-I don't have time, if I am in any trouble, I will be at the pokécenter!" I said, before running out the other door. I burst into the city, gathering a few looks of shock from people walking around. I ran up to the nearest person, and upon explaining what was happening, they pointed me to the pokécenter. Thanking them, I ran through the city, before the familiar red roof of what I was looking for came into sight. I burst through the doors, only to spot Liam and Fiona, talking to Nurse Joy. Liam looked up and smiled at me. He was about to wave, when he froze, seeing the blood. He stepped a side, and I ran up to the front desk.

"Welcome to th-" Nurse Joy started to say, before I cut her off by setting the shirt on the counter. She gasped, her eyes going wide, and she immediately grabbed Christa, running her into a back room, telling me to wait here. I sighed, allowing myself to finally sit down. I plopped down in a chair. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a replacement shirt, before putting it on and looking at the door that Nurse Joy went through, watching as a red light flashed on, showing that surgery was in effect. I sighed again, before I noticed Liam and Fiona walking up to me. Abby, Mitsuki, Kazumi, Hikage, and Rose also walked up to me, having just caught up.

"What happened?! Is everyone ok?" Fiona asked, leaning against Liam, her eyes wide with shock. I shook my head, taking a deep breath.

"I-I don't really know. We were attacked on the way here. Two Absols, apparently with a 'Team Lotus', ambushed us. T-they seriously hurt Christa..." I said, once again looking at the door with the light. Liam looked at me in confusion.

"Christa? Who's Christa?" He asked. I sighed, but before I could say anything, the door opened, and in walked Officer Jenny. She looked around for a few seconds, before her eyes landed on me. She slowly made her way over, before looking down at her notepad.

"Excuse me young man, but can I ask you to come with me to the station? I have a few questions I need to ask you." She said, looking up from her notepad and at me. I looked back towards the back room nervously, then back at her.

"C-can we please stay here? I would be happy to answer any questions, but I-I can't leave here, not without knowing if Christa's ok." I said, and Officer Jenny's eyes softened slightly. She sighed and nodded, taking out a pencil.

"This Christa, would she happen to be the pokemon you were seen with when dashing through the city checkpoint?" She asked, making a quick note when I nodded. "Ok, the guard gave me a description of the pokemon he saw. He described it as looking like a small pink feline type pokemon. I searched it up on the pokemon database, and came up with one match..." She said, looking at me closely. Fiona's eyes widened, and she gasped, taking a nervous step forward. Seeing her, Officer Jenny held up a finger for her to hold on for a second, before tapping something on her ear. "Yes, can I help you?" She asked, crouching down slightly. Fiona nodded, before gulping.

"Y-yes, sorry, but that description can't be right! That would be L-Lady Mew, and everyone knows she hasn't been seen in decades!" She said, looking up at Officer Jenny in disbelief. The policewoman nodded solemnly, before straightening up and looking back at me.

"That would be correct. Now, I could ask you if this is true, but I still would need to go in there and check anyways, as I need to get evidence." She said, before promptly walking to the back room with the surgery light, leaving the room in an awkward silence. Liam looked at me in shock, his eyes going wide.

"I-is it true? Do you really have a legendary with you?!" He asked, Fiona giving me the same look. I nervously looked around, before sighing. There was no use in hiding anything now that she had been seen. I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Officer Jenny walked back up to us, looking at me.

"I'm sorry for the trouble and inconvenience, but there seems to have been a mistake. The guard must have mistaken your Ditto for a Mew. Wrapped up in your shirt like that, it does kind of look like Mew. Nurse Joy wanted me to tell you that the surgery went well, and Christa will be ok. Now, The injuries were pretty bad. I've never seen a normal pokemon battle end up like that, can you please come with me to the station to give a report on what exactly happened?" She asked, and I nodded, knowing that Christa was going to be ok. Mitsuki and Abby walked up to me, being followed by Kazumi.

"Hey Void? Everyone's worried about Christa, and we wanted to know if we can stay here and watch over her, is that ok?" Abby asked, giving me a pleading look. I smiled, saying yes and following Officer Jenny. We walked for a few minutes, and when we were out of earshot of others, I turned to her with a questioning look.

"Why did you do that?" I asked looking at her in confusion. "You and I both know that Christa is not a Ditto." I said, and Officer Jenny sighed, nodding her head.

"Yes, she certainly is not a Ditto. You having a legendary is between you and the law, not for the general public to know. Any further questions and answers will have to wait until we arrive at the station." She said, and everything was silent again.

The station was a big building, police vehicles parked out in the front, and other officers walking in and out. Officer Jenny walked towards the side of the building, and I followed after her. She walked towards a side entrance marked 'staff only', and held up her badge to a scanner. A few seconds later, she opened the door, and walked in. Other members of the police waved to her, as well as giving curious looks when they saw me. I followed close behind her until we walked into a small office room, and she closed the door, before offering me a seat, sitting down as well. After a few seconds, I looked at her in confusion.

"Excuse me Officer Jenny, but can I ask you something?" I asked, before continuing when she looked up and nodded. "Why are you acting like you don't know me?" I asked, and she looked at me in confusion, giving me a strange look.

"I... don't know you, should I?" She asked, and I also became confused. I looked at her for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Y-yes, it's me, Void. I met you in Hearthome City, don't you remember?" I asked, looking at her. She thought deeply for a few seconds, before snapping her fingers in realization.

"You met my cousin!" She said, suddenly reaching into her desk. I looked at her in confusion, and she handed me a photo, pointing out someone in what looked to be a crowd of many Officer Jennys'. I shook my head, surprised by it all. She chuckled. "Yeah, that's the reaction we all get. It's fun to sometimes shock the people who don't know. There is an Officer Jenny in every town and city, same thing with the Joy family. Anyways, back on topic, I am required to ask, do you have a Legendary Permit?" She asked, pulling up a blank document on her computer. I shook my head, looking confused.

"N-no, I don't. I don't even know what that is." I said, becoming nervous. She nodded, typing something down, looking up at me when she finished.

"Right, I'm not surprised. Legendary Permits are part of a relatively new law. However, it is a law we keep under wraps. That is, until it is needed, as we want to protect the Legendaries. As you most likely know, Legendaries are extremely powerful. Some can control weather and land, and some can even control the fabric of time and space. Now, imagine that power in the hands of someone bad." She said, looking intently at me, and I nodded, starting to understand. "That is where Legendary Permits come into play. If anything happens, we would have a record of who owned the legendary causing the trouble. It is actually very illegal to own a Legendary without a permit." She said, looking at me sternly. I gulped, shaking my head.

"B-but, that's just it! I don't own her, she doesn't have a pokéball!" I said, and Officer Jenny nodded, before snapping her gaze up at me.

"Wait, hold on. Are you actually telling me she is traveling with you of her own free will?" She asked, looking at me in shock. I gulped again.

"W-well, sort of..." I said, and she looked at me in attentive curiosity. I sighed, shaking my head. "Look, I can't tell you what is happening without breaking her trust and sounding insane. If you want to find out everything, you'll have to ask her. Sorry to change the subject, but you wanted to know what happened to land her in the pokécenter, right?" I asked. She looked at me for a few more seconds, looking like she wanted to press me for answers, but then she nodded, and I sighed with relief. "W-we were attacked, they were trying to go after her." I said, and she instantly looked at me, looking alert.

"Who? Who attacked you, did you get a good look at them?" She asked, immediately opening a new document. I shook my head.

"Two Absols attacked us, one I guess was a distraction, while the other one went after Christa. There weren't any people with them, but the one who we were fighting mentioned a name; Team Lotus." I said, and Officer Jenny started typing. A few seconds later, she nodded, standing up.

"Right, thanks for the information, we'll keep our eyes and ears out for anything relating to this 'Team Lotus'." She said, starting to push in her chair. I froze, before looking at her for a few seconds. Seemingly sensing it, she looked up at me in confusion. "Yes, what is it?" She asked, watching me closely. I shifted nervously, before taking a deep breath.

"I-I know she isn't truly mine, but can I get one of those Permits?" I asked, shifting from foot to foot. Officer Jenny sighed, before nodding.

"Sure, since she is traveling with you, you still need one. However, I will still need to wait until I have the real reason she is traveling with you. So in the meantime, you will have to stay in town." She said, walking out of the room and towards the front door, with me following close behind. As soon as we left the station, something caught my eyes.

"Hold on..." I said, my eyes widening in shock. I watched as an Absol hobbled towards me. When it saw that I had noticed it, the Absol hobbled towards me a little faster, stopping in front of me. From this close, I could tell that it was the same one who attacked us. Officer Jenny stepped up, walking until she was right next to me.

"Is that...?" She asked, and I nodded, causing her to reach for her tranquilizer gun, making the Absol step back. A small trickle of blood ran from the corner of its mouth, and it collapsed, fainting. I immediately rushed forward, kneeling down next to it. Officer Jenny grabbed my shoulder, looking shocked. "What are you doing? Stay away from it, I thought you said it attacked you!" She said, and I shook her hand off.

"She did, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave her like this! She needs a pokécenter!" I said. Officer Jenny stood there undecidedly for a few seconds, before nodding, helping me to lift her up. We carefully rushed her to the pokécenter, gaining angry looks from Abby and the others when we got there. Abby pulled me aside, while Officer Jenny helped Nurse Joy take the Absol into the emergency room.

"Void! What is _she_ doing here?! She attacked us! Why did you bring her here?!" She asked, glaring at me. I sighed, looking her in the eyes.

"She needed help. She collapsed in front of me and Jenny, it wouldn't have been right to just leave her there." I said, and Abby gave me an incredulous look, shaking her head.

"Yes it would have! She would have gotten what she deserved, you should have left her for dead!" She snarled, looking like she wanted to just go after the hurt Absol. I looked at her in disappointment and shock.

"Abby! You should never think like that! Sure she did something horrible, but if we don't help her, we would be no better then her!" I said, giving her a disapproving look. She flinched and glared at me, then looked down in shame. I patted her shoulder, then sighed. "Now, I'm going to go see if she is ok. I know you don't really like her, but please trust me to know what I'm doing." I said, before walking over to where they had carried the Absol to. I came to a back hallway, seeing Jenny leaning against a wall. When she saw me, she nodded to me.

"Hey Void, if you're here to check on the Absol, Joy took her in for emergency surgery. Apparently she had some internal bleeding. Joy asked me to wait out here." She said, and I nodded, leaning against the wall as well. Everything was silent for a few minutes, except for steady beeping coming from the room next to us. Eventually however, Officer Jenny looked at me curiously. "Can I ask why you so readily helped someone who attacked you like that?" She asked, and I sighed, nodding.

"Sure, I guess I just don't like to see a pokemon get hurt, no matter what they do, or who they are." I said, sighing again. She nodded, giving me a smile.

"That's an admiral trait to have Void. If I were in your shoes, I don't really know if I would have done the same." She said, looking towards the door. I sighed, shrugging my shoulders.

"Maybe, but sometimes, I have to wonder if that will cause trouble in the long run." I said, before going silent once again. Officer Jenny frowned, but didn't say anything else. After what must have been close to an hour or two, the light above the door went out, and an exhausted looking Nurse Joy walked out. When she saw us, she gave us a weak smile.

"I-I'm happy to announce the surgery was a success. She had some serious internal bleeding, but I was able to patch her up. Since she is classified as a danger to others, I'd be happy to call the pokemon control to pick her up." She said, but Officer Jenny shook her head.

"Before we do anything like that, I need to question her about what happened. She is crucial to this investigation!" She said, getting a nod from Nurse Joy, who started to walk away, before stopping abruptly.

"Oh, Void! I forgot to tell you. While you were away, Christa woke up. She is in room A27. Your Chimecho has been at her side all along, she refuses to leave her side." She said, and I thanked her as she walked away. I looked nervously at Officer Jenny, and she nodded, giving me a smile.

"Go on Void, I'll watch the Absol, you go see how Christa is doing." She said, before turning and walking into the medical room. I sighed in relief, then made my way down the hall, heading for the room that Christa and Kazumi were in. Reaching the right room, I heard giggling coming from the other side of the door. My curiosity piqued, I opened the door and looked inside, my jaw dropped. Sitting on the bed, Christa and Kazumi were giggling and kissing. Her ears twitching slightly, Christa slowly opened an eye and looked towards the door, only for her to gasp and jump away from Kazumi when she saw me.

"V-Void! W-what are not doing here?!" She asked, blushing furiously. I stared for a few more seconds, before shaking my head.

"S-sorry to interrupt... I-I heard that you had awoken, and I wanted to see how you were doing." I said, but only got long awkward silence. "I guess you're feeling better... Look, I have a question for you." I said, and she begrudgingly looked at me, her ear twitching curiously. I took a deep breath. "What would you say if you could talk to who did this to you?" I asked, and she immediately met my eyes.

"…Why?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. I hesitated for a few seconds, before giving a nervous look.

"What if I told you one of them is here in the pokécenter?" I asked, causing Christa to start to sit up. I went to stop her, but Kazumi blocked my way.

"Don't worry Void, she can move around just fine..." She said, a bit of mischievousness in her voice, causing Christa to freeze and glare at her, a deep blush on her face. After a few seconds, Christa was up and floating around. She looked at me, her gaze serious.

"Where are they?" She asked, floating towards the door, an unreadable expression on her face. I sighed, starting to get the feeling that I shouldn't have said anything. After a few seconds, I gave in.

"R-right down the hall, but I think you need to know something first." I said, and she slowly turned back to me, giving me a curious look. Gulping, I took a deep breath. "Officer Jenny is there now, and… She sort of knows that you're traveling with me." I said, and she froze, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me.

"…And how does she know this exactly?" She asked, and I sighed, causing her eyes to go wide. "Y-you told her, didn't you?! I-I thought I could trust you to keep me a secret!" She said, her voice getting louder. My eyes widened as well, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

"Look! I had to tell her, she already knew about you being with me. You were gravely injured, and all I cared about was to get you help. You were seen wrapped in my shirt, and Jenny was called. I couldn't lie and say that I didn't have you with me, as I would have gone to jail!" I said, taking another deep blush. "I only said you were traveling with me, not the reason why." I said.

"How would you have to go to jail for me traveling with you?" She asked, her anger being replaced with confusion. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"There was a new law put into place in order to protect the Legendaries and the world. A trainer can't just have a Legendary travel with them, they would need to have a special permit called a Legendary Permit. Without one, the trainer could face serious jail time." I said, and Christa nodded silently. "Anyways, I just wanted to warn you. Now that you are aware, we can go to the pokemon I was telling you about." I said, before opening the door and walking out, Christa following right behind me, Kazumi as well. When we arrived, Officer Jenny was walking out of the room, looking frustrated, but when she saw me, she calmed down.

"Hey Void, she wouldn't talk to me, she kept asking for you, maybe you could have more luck." She said, before her eyes fell on Christa. "Oh, you must be Christa! Can I ask you a few questions?" She asked. Christa sighed, then nodded, going with Officer Jenny, being followed by Kazumi. After they left, I mentally prepared myself, then went inside.

My eyes roamed the dimly lit room. The only sounds being heard were soft breathing and constant beeping. I continued to look around, until my eyes fell on the bed against the wall. Half under the sheets, laid the Absol who had attacked us. For a few seconds, I thought that she had fallen asleep, that is, until she slowly tried to sit up, before falling back against the bed with a wince of pain. Instead, she turned her head towards me, her eyes meeting mine with a look of confusion, and she spoke, her voice strained.

"W-why...? Why did you help me?" She asked, her voice giving way to a whine, and she sunk further into the bed, a wave of pain making her flinch. I tried to stay business like, not showing any emotions, but I couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for the bedridden Absol.

"The same reason I didn't kill you back in the woods. I like to think of myself as a good person. I physically could not leave you there like that. It would have gone against everything I stand for. Even though you attacked us, I believe in second chances." I said, and she sadly nodded. Looking at her for a few seconds, I was about to ask her why she followed me to the city, when the door opened, and Christa flew in, floating next to me. The Absol, unlike how she was acting in the woods earlier, actually tried to scoot back. I looked at Christa for a few seconds. "Where's Kazumi?" I asked, and Christa gave me a look, which told me all I needed to know. She looked back to the Absol, watching her for a few minutes, before sighing.

"Why does your group want the Legendaries?" She asked, and the Absol looked at her in shock. Christa just nodded. "Yes, I know your group is after all of the Legendaries, what I want to know, is why." She said, and the Absol sighed.

"I would love to tell you all about their plans, but why should I? I'll only be put down when you all get your information." She said quietly, and it was our turn things look surprised. She only chuckled darkly. "You know what? Never mind, it would be plenty worth it to know the boss will crash and burn, I never liked that asshole. Team Lotus's goal is to capture the Legendaries and use their power to make a new start. A world free of pokephilia." She said, and I looked at her.

"What's wrong with a person loving a pokemon? If they truly love each other, shouldn't that be all that matters?" I asked, and Christa also looked curious, looking at the Absol, who shook her head and sighed.

"What's wrong with it is that it isn't _natural._ Pokemon should be with pokemon, and humans with humans! At least, that's what they drilled into our heads during training... Then again, seeing how your Lucario loves you, maybe there are actual real relationships that work..." She said, going silent. I sighed, before looking at her.

"Why did you follow us? We already beat you once, were you expecting it to go differently this time?" I asked, and she sighed.

"No, not really. About five minutes after you had all left, my trainer had found me. He had watched the whole fight, and he wasn't at all very happy with what he saw. He kicked me out of Team Lotus, and when I say kicked, I mean literally. He kicked me over and over and called me a failure. The kicks kept coming until I was coughing up blood. I would've protected myself, but I was to weak from the battle. When he finally left, I started following your scent. Honestly, I was hoping that I would run into you and be taken as a threat. At least then I might have had a quick death. However, when I realized that you had made it into the city, I just hoped that I would die from the journey into the city..." She said, laying her head on the bed. Not being able to take what I was hearing anymore, I gestured for Christa to follow me out. When we were outside, I turned towards her.

"Christa... I know she was the cause of you being here-" I started to say, but she cut me off.

"Void, we can't let them put her down. They may have almost killed me, but she didn't act like someone who would have done anything like that without an order. Do you have enough space on the team for her to join?" She asked, looking at me pleadingly. I stood there in shock for a few seconds, but nodded nonetheless.

"S-sure, I was going to suggest something like that anyways, but I'll have to ask Officer Jenny first." I said, before someone walked up to us, interrupting.

"Ask me what?" Said the person, and we turned around, only to see Officer Jenny. I smiled at her, before clearing my throat.

"Well first of all, we found out that Team Lotus is an anti pokephilia group that is so against it, they want to capture the Legendaries and use their power to create a new world free of pokephilia." I said, and she nodded, looking thoughtful for a few seconds, before giving me a smile.

"Thank you for getting that information, I will write a report about this Team Lotus when I get back to the station, but in the meantime, I will call the pokemon control right away." She said, grabbing her radio.

"Wait, what would they do to her?" I asked, and Officer Jenny's smile started to fade. For the first few seconds, she didn't say anything, then she sighed.

"Well, I shouldn't really say anything about this, but she attacked a human. Because of that, I'm afraid they're going to have to put her down. She won't be able to be put up for adoption because..."

"I'll adopt her." I said, cutting her off.

"...Nobody would be able to- wait, what?" She asked, her eyes going wide. I nodded.

"I'll adopt her." I said, repeating myself. Officer Jenny shook her head, looking nervous.

"Void, that's a kind thing to do, but I don't really think that's a good idea. She is dangerous, she has already attacked you, I don't think I can allow it." She said, giving me a stern look. I shook my head as well, not giving up.

"She was brought up by the wrong type of people, I don't feel she is originally bad, and I'm willing to give her a chance. I will sign any papers it takes, but I will not allow her to be put down because of other people's mistakes!" I said, and Officer Jenny sighed, before looking at Christa.

"What about you? She was partly responsible for you being almost killed, what is your view on this?" She asked, looking closely at the Mew floating next to us. Christa only nodded, looking at her.

"I was the one who suggested she should stay with us. She shouldn't be put to sleep for a mistake caused by bad training. I agree with Void, she can't be put to sleep because of others' mistakes." She said, causing Officer Jenny to slowly nod, giving a thoughtful look.

"If you feel that way, I-I could type up the papers, but you have to understand. This is a big responsibility, you have to keep her in check, you need to make sure she doesn't attack anyone else. This isn't just about keeping her safe, this is about the safety of everyone, are you sure you can handle that? Because if she slips up, and she attacks anyone, you will also get in big trouble, as you should have been watching her." She said, looking at me with stern eyes. I nodded, looking into her eyes. She sighed, straightening up. "Very well, I'll get the papers…" She said, before walking away, shaking her head. I looked at Christa, before we both made our way back into the room that the Absol was in. Upon hearing the door, she lifted her head from her front paws.

"What are you doing here? I already gave you your information, what else do you want?" She asked, looking up at us in confusion. I sat down on the corner of the bed, and she growled slightly. Hearing this, I sighed, scooting back a little.

"Do you have a name?" I asked, and she froze, frowning slightly. "What's the matter?" I asked, noticing her reaction. She sighed, before shaking her head.

"What does it matter, I know how it works. I have already told you all the information you needed, so there is no more need for me. I'm just going to be put down anyways, what's the point of knowing my name...?" She asked, laying her head back down on her paws. I watched her for a few seconds, feeling bad for her, before taking a deep breath, remembering why we were here.

"What if I said you weren't being put down?" I asked, and she looked up at me for a few seconds, before shaking her head and scowling, her head going back down.

"I'd say that's a very cruel trick to pull. You shouldn't lie about things like that!" She said, before giving a scoff when she saw my look of shocked confusion. "Humor me then, if I'm not being put to sleep, then what's going to happen to me?" She asked, a hint of fear in her voice. I calmingly smiled at her, before sighing.

"Well, Officer Jenny made it very clear that you couldn't be put in the pokemon adoption agency, as you attacked a person, and you can't return to Team Lotus, you could always come with me..." I said, trailing off and letting it catch up to her. She blinked a few times, before her eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"N-no! You're lying! I-I don't know why... B-but you are!" She said, glaring at me. I sighed, shaking my head and gently scooting toward her. She bared her teeth at me, but I kept on going, slowly reaching my hand out to rest on her head. She growled, but I kept on going, eventually resting it carefully right below the sickle on her head. She froze, looking into my eyes.

"I'm not lying. Officer Jenny is typing up the adoption papers as we speak. I'll even sign them in front of you if you want. I wouldn't lie about something like this." I said, only to be butted by the Absol, who nuzzled into my chest, before looking up at me, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Why...? Why are you being so nice to me? I tried to kill you back in the woods!" She said, looking at me in disbelief. I softly pet her head, and she unconsciously nuzzled my hand.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. I believe you were just raised by the wrong kind of people. You trusted them, and they only used you." I said, and she sighed.

"How do you know this isn't just some act, and how do you know I won't eventually turn on you?" She asked, looking at me with honest curiosity. Christa tensed slightly, but I shook my head, smiling at the Absol.

"I don't. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I have complete trust in you." I said, and she looked at me in shock, before nuzzling against me again. We stayed like this for a few seconds, before she stopped, sniffling slightly.

"M-mutt..." She said, before continuing when she saw my shock and confusion. "Y-you wanted to know my name, they called me Mutt. I-I know, it's not a name as much as it is a title, but that's what they called me." She said, and I felt my eye twitch.

"I am not calling you that, that is horrible!" I said, and she looked at me in sadness. "Is there anything else you would like to be called?" I asked, and she thought for a few seconds.

"W-well, my mom did used to call me her little snowflake when I was newly hatched... Something about my fur looking like freshly fallen snow." She said, and I gave her a smile.

"What about that? That sounds like a great name!" I said, and she looked at me, giving me a strange look.

"What does... Snowflake?" She asked, sounding a little weirded out. "I-I don't know. That should be just something between my mom and I..." She said, looking away, and I shook my head.

"No no, I didn't mean that. I was thinking something more along the lines of... Snow." I said, and she looked up at me, her ears twitching.

"Snow..." She said, repeating it over and over, before she looked back at me. "I-I guess that could work. It does have sort of a ring to it. Definitely better then what I was called before. I guess I like it." She said, giving me a nod. I smiled at her, until something came to mind.

"Are you sure? Once Officer Jenny comes back with those papers, it will be official, that would be the name that will follow you, are you sure you are fine with that name?" I asked, and for a second, I saw a look of uncertainty in her eyes, before she nodded again.

"Yes, I'm fine with it. Thanks for asking me though. I really appreciate you giving me a choice." She said, licking my wrist as I pet her head. I smiled at her, and we spent the next twenty minutes talking. Eventually though, there was a knock on the door, before Officer Jenny called into the room, asking to see me. I asked Christa if she could stay here with Snow while I talked to Officer Jenny. Christa looked a little nervous, but nodded, ands I thanked her, before walking out into the hallway.

"Hey Officer Jenny, were you able to get the papers?" I asked, and she nodded, looking a little unsure. "What's the matter?" I asked, giving her a look of concern, and she sighed.

"Void, are you sure you want to go through with this? I still don't think this is a good idea. She's dangerous, and I still don't know if she can be trusted..." She said, trailing off when she saw my look.

"I thank you for your concern, but Snow CAN be trusted, and I'm absolutely sure about adopting her." I said, and her eyes widened.

"So you named her already?" She asked, sounding surprised.

"It was definitely necessary. Team Lotus was calling her something I refuse to even repeat. Now, can I please have those adoption papers, I told her I would sign them in front of her." I said, before getting a nod from her.

"Sure, but I need to be in there when they are signed, I need to add my signature as well." She said, handing me the papers and following me inside. I walked in, holding the papers in my hand. Snow and Christa looked up, and I smiled, setting the forms down on the bed, letting Snow watch as I wrote down her name, then signed mine. Officer Jenny signed hers as well, then sighed, straightening out the papers. "Well, it's official, from this day forward, Snow is a part of your team Void, now I need to run these to the station, and then I'll bring you a copy tomorrow!" She said, before walking out, closing the door as she left. Snow looked up at me, giving me a nervous smile.

"S-so I guess you're my new master?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm not." I said, and she looked at me in hurt confusion. "I am your friend, someone you can talk to if you have any problems. I refuse to answer to 'Master'. My one favor I ask of you, is that you just call me Void." I said, giving her a smile.

Ok! A-and thanks again for giving me a chance... Void." She said, giving me a relieved look, wagging her tail. I chuckled, before I walked towards the door, Christa following me.

"Now, you get some rest, you were hurt pretty badly, I'll stop by in the morning to see how you are doing." I said, before Christa and I left, closing the door. Christa changed back to her human disguise in case anyone was in the lobby. As we walked, she turned towards me.

"Void? I know I was the one who suggested she should join us, but do you think it was a good idea?" She asked, looking at me with concern. I looked at her in shock, nodding my head.

"Of course I do! She may have done something bad, but doesn't she deserve a chance to make up for it? Why the second thoughts?" I asked, and she sighed.

"You're right, she does deserve a chance, I'm just afraid of how everyone else is going to act when they find out." She said, looking worried. I sighed, beginning to wonder that myself, before shaking my head.

"Don't worry about that. You just tell Kazumi, and I'll tell Abby. I will tell the others tomorrow." I said, and she gave me a look of surprise.

"Ok, but is that wise? Shouldn't everyone know right now?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No. We need to wait until she is well and able to protect herself if anyone doesn't like the idea of her being on the team. I wouldn't want anyone to take it into their own hands and attack her while she's down. I don't think that would be a problem, but it's best to be careful." I said, and she nodded.

"Well, I asked Kazumi to wait for me in my room, so I guess I'll head there now." She said with a deep blush, and I smirked, becoming curious.

"Wait, I'm curious. How _did_ you both get together?" I asked, laughing slightly when she froze, starting to stammer.

"I-I don't know why you'd need to know, b-but she told me how she felt about me when I woke up. I remember her acting so weird lately, and it turned out she had a crush on me." She said, her face going even redder. I chuckled, shaking my head slowly.

"I'm sorry, I just find that adorable. You both look like you'd make a good couple." I said, and she smiled slightly, her cheeks refusing to pale. I wished her a good night, before going to the lobby. When I arrived, I found Abby and Mitsuki talking on the lobby's sofa, while Hikage and Rose cuddled on an armchair positioned near the window. At this hour, Nurse Joy was getting ready to go to her office, putting out the fireplace. When I walked in, Abby looked up, smiling at me, before saying something to Mitsuki, then getting up and walking over to me.

"Hey Void, are you getting ready for bed, it's getting pretty late, I may tuck in for the night." She said, wrapping her arms around me and giving me a kiss. My eyes widened, and I looked around, seeing Nurse Joy looking our way, frowning and shaking her head. She walked towards us, a stern look on her face.

"Excuse me, but could you please not do that in my lobby? I get how relationships like this aren't against the law, but I still don't like it. I don't allow things like that here." She said, sounding slightly disgusted. Abby's eyes went wide and her ears flattened against her head. She looked like she was about to say something, but I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am, we didn't mean to cause you any problems, and I hope we haven't overstayed our welcome." I said, and Nurse Joy sighed, shaking her head.

"No no, you're fine, I just don't share your views on interspecies relationships. I would just appreciate it if you kept anymore public displays of affecting behind closed doors." She said, before walking away. I slowly lead the saddened Lucario to the hallway where the rooms were. When we were clear of the lobby and inside our room, she looked up at me with a tear in eye.

"W-why was Nurse Joy acting that way? Why did she seem disgusted?" She asked, sounding hurt. I frowned, hugging her close to me and rubbing her back. She sniffled, burying her face into my chest.

"I'm afraid there's been a mistake. That isn't the same Nurse Joy we met in Hearthome City. As you know, some people frown on our kind of relationship, she just happens to be one of those people." I said, and I allowed her to rest against me for a few more minutes, before she looked at me in confusion.

"Void? What's wrong, your aura is showing that you're nervous about something." She said, and I sighed, nodding my head. She looked at me with concern.

"Yes, you're right, I am nervous. If I tell you something, do you promise to trust me?" I asked, and she gave me a quick nod, kissing me and giving me a worried look.

"Yes, yes, I promise, what's wrong?" She asked, and I sighed.

"You may not like this, but we have a new member on our team..." I said, and her worry gave way to confusion.

"What's wrong with that? Isn't it good to have new members?" She asked, and I gave her a look. "Seriously Void, what's wro-" She started to say, before realization struck her. "No... Y-you didn't!" She said, glaring at me. I sighed, nodding slowly.

"I did, and I had to." I said, and she pushed me away, glaring down her muzzle at me.

"No you didn't Void! That bitch attacked us! You're literally bringing the enemy into our ranks!" She said, and I stood up as well, shaking my head.

"Snow is not the enemy! The people who trained her are!" I said, and she growled slightly.

"Oh! You named her too? That's just perfect!" She said, throwing her arms up and turning around, Opening the window and leaning against the windowsill, looking out. I watched her sadly for a few seconds.

"Look, I know you don't like this, but the choice is final, I already signed the adoption papers. If I wouldn't have, she would have been put to sleep, and no matter what she has done, I would not be able to live with myself if I let someone die like that. Even if you don't like her, all I ask is that you trust me." I said. When she didn't answer, I nodded sadly to myself, then got in bed. A few minutes later, I felt Abby get in bed next to me, hugging against my back, before sighing.

"I love you Void, of course I trust you. No matter what I may feel, I guess I just have to get over it." She said, snuggling into me. I flipped around, meeting her surprised eyes with mine, before laying a quick kiss on her lips. She let out a soft murr, before I pulled back, and she looked into my eyes. "Just don't think I trust her..." She said, in almost a whisper. I pulled her close, cuddling up to her, making her smile.

"Thank you Abby, I guess that's all I can ask for right now." I said, laying one last kiss on her cheek, before lying back and closing my eyes, holding her close.

 **Here's chapter 19, where we learn a _little_ about the people causing Void trouble, and where a new character has been added. After I upload this chapter, I will upload a sort of, background oneshot showing the budding relationship of Christa and Kazumi. This oneshot will be on what happened while Christa was in her hospital bed. If you would be interested in this, please check it out. Now, on to writing another chapter of 'Crafting a New World'!**

 **Also, to the guest in the reviews sections who called me a betrayer, I don't know what you mean by that.**

 **~spudbud16**


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 _Void's POV_

I slowly opened my eyes, the sun shining through the window, nearly blinding me and causing me to flinch. Abby, having been sleeping right next to me, groaned, having been woken up by my sudden movement. She slowly sat up, looking at the bedside clock, before promptly falling back against the bed.

"V-Void, go back to sleep, it's only six in the morning!" She sleepily said, cuddling into the blanket. I chuckled, leaning closer to her and laying a kiss on her forehead, causing her to smile slightly, though her eyes stayed closed. Getting out of bed, I stretched, sighing in content as my back cracked.

"Go back to sleep Abby, I'll be back." I said, and she mumbled something that I could only assume was an affirmative. I yawned, quietly opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. I closed the door behind me, before making my way to the lobby. Passing by Snow's room, I stopped, quietly looking inside. She was peacefully laying in her bed, wrapped in a blanket and no longer attached to the machine near the bed. Nurse Joy must have decided she no longer needed it. Satisfied that she was ok, I closed the door and continued on to the lobby, heading for the food that Nurse Joy was currently placing out. When I entered, she looked up, before continuing to put the food down.

"Good morning Void, you're up early. Are you getting breakfast?" She asked, and I smiled, nodding and grabbing two plates. She raised an eyebrow when she saw this. "Are you seriously that hungry?" She asked. I looked at her in confusion, before looking down at the two plates in my hands and chuckling.

"Oh! No, I'm bringing Abby some breakfast in bed, only one of these are for me." I said, smiling and placing some bacon, hash browns, and sausage on both plates, grabbing some forks as well. Nurse Joy mumbled something under her breath, and I looked up, looking at her in curiosity. "I'm sorry, but what did you say?" I asked, and she sighed.

"What is it about pokemon that people fall in love with? I just don't get the appeal." She said, shaking her head. I frowned for a few seconds, before sitting down.

"Well, I don't know about everyone else, but why I love Abby is that she is there for me, and she is one of the first people to actually understand me and what I've been through. I try my best to make her happy, and she definitely makes me happy, isn't that what relationships are about? If that's the case, if a pokemon and a human love each other, is their love any less real because they're different species?" I asked, and Nurse Joy looked thoughtful, though she still seemed uncomfortable on the subject. I sighed, standing up again, holding the plates. "Look, I respect your views on this, and I'm not going to try to shove my views down your throat, but I love Abby, and she loves me, that's all that matters to me in the end." I said, giving her one last smile, before taking the food to our temporary room.

The hallway was still relatively quiet, and looking at the clock on the wall, I could see why. It was still about six twenty in the morning, meaning that everyone was still most likely asleep. When I got to the room, I carefully set one of the plates down on a small shelf in the hall, before quietly opening the door. I turned and grabbed the plate I had set down, then walked into the room, only to jump when I saw Abby standing up and stretching. She froze, looking at me in confusion.

"Void? Where did you go, and why do you have plates of food with you." She asked, looking at me in curiosity. I sighed, hanging my head.

"Arceus dammit, you ruined the surprise!" I said playfully, before handing her a plate of food. Abby looked at in confusion. "You looked tired, so I thought I would be sweet and get you some breakfast in bed. I was supposed to wake you up and surprise you with it, but it seems you were already awake." I said, setting my plate down. I watched in curiosity as she set hers down as well, before pulling me onto the bed, surprising me with a deep kiss. When we separated, she panted slightly, looking lovingly into my eyes.

"Thank you Void! Surprise or not, that still was really sweet. I'm sorry if I was a little grouchy waking up, I just felt a little dizzy." She said, and feeling concerned, I placed the back of my hand against her forehead, checking to see if she had any fever. She giggled slightly, pushing my hand away. "Stop that Void, I'm fine!" She said, kissing my cheek. I looked at her for a few seconds, before shrugging, picking up her plate and handing it back to her.

"Well, if you're sure you're ok, then alright, but please tell me if anything is bothering you, ok?" I asked, and she smiled, nodding.

"Of course! I would tell you if something was wrong, it's probably that I'm just not used to waking up so early, or I got up too fast, but I'm fine. Now, you went to the trouble of bringing me breakfast in bed, let's eat, I am actually pretty hungry." She said, popping a piece of bacon into her mouth, closing her eyes in bliss at the flavor. I smiled, following her lead and grabbing my plate and fork, eating some sausage. Halfway through the meal, I smiled at Abby.

"So, how is the food?" I asked. When she didn't answer, I looked at her closer, noticing that she looked to be in deep thought, absently poking a piece of sausage with her fork. When she noticed me looking, she flinched slightly.

"Oh! Uh, it's delicious!" She said, giving me a smile, as well as shoveling another piece into her mouth. I watched her for a few more seconds, before sighing, setting down my plate and fork.

"Right, ok, what's wrong?" I asked looking at her in concern. She looked at me hesitantly, shaking her head.

"N-nothing's wrong, I told you, I'm fine, you don't have to worry." She said, nervously biting her lip.

"Abby... Something is on your mind, and don't try to hide it, I can see it in your aura." I said. She stayed silent for a few long seconds, looking as if she was contemplating what exactly to say, before sighing, nodding her head.

"I-it's that Absol... I don't trust her. I'm worried she may be trying to make you lower your guard. Nobody changes their ways _that_ fast." She said, looking away, as if she expected to be chastened for saying what she did. Seeing this, I sighed.

"Normally, I'd agree with you, it does seem a bit strange that she would be accepting so fast, but in Snow's case, she wasn't given much of a chance, what with being beaten and kicked out of the group that gave her a home. Look, I don't ask that you trust her, not if you don't want to, all I ask, is that you at least accept that she's part of the team now." I said, and I could see that she still looked unsure. "How about this, I'm going to be visiting her to see how she is feeling later today, how about you come with me? that way, you can read her aura and see if she is lying or not." I said, and Abby seemed to calm down slightly, nodding her head.

"O-ok, I guess that would be a good idea... Thanks Void, for at least being understanding." She said, giving me a hug. I smiled, hugging her back.

"Don't mention it. Now, let's get back to eating!" I said, gaining a smile from her. When we finished, we set our plates down and sighed in content, falling back on the bed and rubbing our now full stomachs. Abby looked at me, a goofy smile on her face.

"That was delicious! Remind me to complement Nurse Joy on her amazing cooking!" She said, cuddling against me. I chuckled, nodding my head. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Abby looked at me in curiosity. "Well Void, now that we have eaten, what do you want to do now?" She asked, and I blinked a few times, before looking at the bedside clock, seeing that it was still only seven in the morning. Getting a reasonable idea, I smiled, pulling her close to me.

"Well, do you want to lay back down and see if we can get a few more hours of sleep?" I asked, laughing as she tried and failed to hold back a yawn. She snuggled even closer, resting her head on my chest, her ear against my heart, listening to my heartbeat.

"I-I would very much love that..." She said, and I couldn't help smiling. Wrapping an arm around her, I pulled a blanket over us, kissing her head.

"Sweet dreams then, see you when we wake up." I said, before closing my eyes, falling asleep once again to the feeling of Abby's warm fur, and the sound of her gentle breathing.

Some time later, I was jolted awake, though by what, I do not know. I looked down, smiling as I noticed Abby was still fast asleep, her ear still firmly pressed against my chest. For a few seconds, I just laid there, taking in her natural beauty, until what had apparently woke me came again, in the form of a knock on the door. Having to get up, I gently shook her awake, causing her to slowly open her eyes, hers meeting mine before she sat up and stretched. Hearing the knock again, I sighed.

"I'll be right there, please hold on." I said, and Abby quietly got up, letting me up as well. Smiling at me, she sighed.

"I guess I'll be in the shower, you go see who's at the door." she said, giving me a small peck, before walking towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her. With a final stretch, I walked to the door and opened it, only to reveal Officer Jenny. As soon as I saw who it was, I invited her in. With a smile, she accepted, walking through the door and closing it behind her.

"Hey Void, sorry to wake you up, I admit, it is still kind of early." She said, rubbing the back of her neck, looking awkward. I looked at the clock, shaking my head.

"It's not too early. Noon is about when I normally wake up. Plus, we should have already been awake by now, we have a big day ahead of us." I said. Officer Jenny looked at me in curiosity for a few seconds.

"Big day? What's so special about today?" She asked, and I smiled, sighing in content.

"Yep, today's the day we finally take on our first gym!" I said, getting a whoop from the bathroom, causing Officer Jenny to raise an eyebrow. I chuckled, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry about that, that was Abby. After we had to skip the Hearthome City gym, she has been looking forward to this gym." I said, and Officer Jenny gave me an understanding look.

"Right, then we should get to the reason I'm here, so you can go about your day." She said, reaching into her bag and pulling out something that looked like a certificate, handing it to me. "I had to pull a few strings to get Snow's adoption passed, so you better make sure she stays out of trouble." She said, and I nodded.

"Don't worry, I doubt she will be causing anymore trouble. I believe the only reason she was, was because she was ordered to, and she was scared of what they would do to her if she didn't listen to them." I said, and Officer Jenny sighed, nodding her head.

"Yeah, well just be careful. Anyways, that's not all I came here to give you. Hand me your pokédex real quick please." She said holding her hand out. Giving her a look of confusion, I shrugged, opening my bag and handing her the device. After a few minutes, she handed it back to me. "Right, you now have a Legendary Permit. If any officials ask why there is a Mew traveling with you, just press this icon on the screen, and show it to them." She said, taking a step back. I looked at the screen, then at her in confusion.

"Don't I need to pay for the Legendary Permit?" I asked, and she shook her head, bringing out another paper, as well as a pen.

"No, but you do have to sign this paper, as well as write down your contact information." She said, handing me the paper and the pen. I looked the paper over carefully for a few seconds. The paper I was supposed to sign was a legal contract. It stated that if the police got word of me having Christa do anything that could put anyone in danger, I could face the penalty of life in prison. Reading this, I raised an eyebrow, and Officer Jenny gave me a serious look. "We take public safety very seriously, and we do not punish lightly when it comes to people being put in danger, especially when a legendary pokemon is involved, but you shouldn't have to worry about that, unless you were planning something illegal." She said, looking at me with narrowed eyes. I shook my head, my eyes going wide.

"No no, I-I get that, but _anyone_ is a broad word! Has Christa told you why she's traveling with me?" I asked, and Officer Jenny nodded, frowning slightly.

"Partly. She said she was supposed to protect you, but she wouldn't say anything else..." She said, and I nodded.

"Well, it's Team Lotus she is supposed to be protecting us from. What happens if we are attacked, and she defends me and the others, she would technically be putting Team Lotus in danger, and that means I could get life in prison." I said, and she frowned.

"Look, I don't make the rules. However, I doubt you would get in trouble for defending yourself. Just make a getaway from them if you can, only fight if you absolutely have to." She said, before giving me a confused look. "Why would Team Lotus be after you anyways? I mean, I get that you have Snow now, but then why did they order her to attack you in the first place?" She asked, and I sighed, looking away and not meeting her eyes. Seeing this, her eyes narrowed once again. "Void? What are you not telling me?" She asked, and I still didn't answer. She grabbed my shoulder. "Void! If Team Lotus are going after you for a reason, they could go after others to, people who don't have a legendary to protect them!" She said, sighing a few seconds later. "Look, I didn't want to have to do this, but I will if I have to. Team Lotus are being investigated by the police, if you hide something like this from me, I will arrest you for impeding an investigation." She said, and I sighed, finally looking at her again.

"Fine. You know how they are a group dedicated to anti pokephilia, right?" I asked, leaving the question open for her to think about. She nodded looking at me in confusion.

"Yes. So what? What does that have anything to do..." She started, before trailing off, her eyes going wide, and I nodded, looking annoyed.

"Yes, that's right. Excuse me for not being all too excited to tell a cop that. Don't think I'm not aware of how cops would try to always find a way to arrest someone when they found out, even though it was completely legal." I said, glaring at her. She just looked at me wide eyed.

"So... Y-you love pokemon?" She asked, sounding slightly weirded out. I sighed, shaking my head, only for her to look even more confused.

"Correction. No, I do not love pokemon, I love _a_ pokemon." I said, only for the bathroom door to open, and Abby walked out, her fur looking all fluffy after her shower. She smiled at me, blushing slightly and sitting next to me, snuggling into my side. "I'm sure you've seen her around, but this is Abby, my girlfriend. Abby, this is the Officer Jenny from Oreburgh City." I said, and Abby just nodded, snuggling closer. Officer Jenny watched us for a few seconds, before shaking her head, as if to clear it.

"So, you're in danger from Team Lotus because you are with Abby?" She asked. I looked at Abby for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Well, that might not be the only reason..." I said, and Jenny perked up slightly, looking interested. "I'm sure by now you've noticed things about me that are strange. Maybe how I'm able to understand pokemon without the need of a pokétranslator, or perhaps most notably, my unusual red eyes." I said, and she nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"I never really focused on that, but now that you mention it, what exactly are you getting at?" She asked, and I sighed again.

"I'm not sure if they knew before, but they definitely do now, as Snow said that her trainer from Team Lotus was watching the fight. Before I say anything else, let me just say, I'm something that would make any anti pokephile chomp at the bit so to say, and not because I love Abby. If Snow was right, her old trainer most likely saw this." I said, holding my hand out and focusing, letting a small sphere of green and blue energy form in my palm, much to the shock of Officer Jenny.

"What the hell?! How are you even doing that?" She asked, looking from my hand to me, her eyes wide in shock. I rolled my eyes, before getting rid of the Aura Spheres.

"Not to be rude, but I would have thought it was obvious. With all the weird things I mentioned about myself, and how I am able to use pokemon moves, it shouldn't be much to assume that I am part pokemon. Lucario to be exact." I said, and she just stared at me in open mouthed shock. After a few minutes, I stood up. "So, I told you everything you needed to know, now if you'll excuse me, we need to get ready for our gym battle." I said, and she sat there for a few more seconds, before blinking, standing up as well.

"R-right, thank you for the information. Good luck with your gym battle, I guess." She said, and with that, she walked to the door and left, once again leaving Abby and I alone. When she was gone, I looked at Abby, not being able to keep from laughing, as I got a good look at her.

"W-what is it? Why are you laughing?" She asked, her ears flattening against her head. I chuckled for a few more seconds, wiping my eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't help it. You look like a big puff ball right now!" I said, and she looked at me in confusion, before going into the bathroom to check her reflection. A few seconds, she whined, walking back out, giving me a pitiful look.

"Oh come on! Why can I never take a shower without my fur doing doing think?" She asked, before her eyes widened. "Wait... It was like this when Officer Jenny was here, wasn't it?!" She asked, hanging her head and moaning in exasperation when I nodded. I smiled, patting her on her now fluffy shoulder.

"Hey, don't be like that, I think you look cute like this. Plus, it does have an upside..." I said, getting a disapproving look from her.

"What? What could possibly be good about this?!" She asked, trying desperately to straighten her unruly fur. I smiled, but instead of answering right away, I reached into my backpack, and Abby watched in confusion. A few seconds later, I pulled out the brush I had used on her before.

"It just means I get to spend more time with you, now come on, let me help you." I said, and she blushed, slowly making her way to the bed and hopping into my lap. I smiled at her, immediately beginning to brush her fur. She groaned slightly, slowly closing her eyes and leaning into me. With a sigh of content, she reopened her eyes and looked back at me.

"Man I love it when you brush my fur, it always feels so good!" She said, pressing her back into my chest when I finished with it. I chuckled, moving onto her shoulders and arms. A few seconds later, she sighed. "Hey Void? Are you going to get in trouble for what you told Officer Jenny?" She asked, and I frowned, shaking my head.

"No, I don't think so. Does this have to do with what I said about cops arresting people for loving a pokemon?" I asked, and she nodded, and I sighed. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but honestly, that was a while ago, maybe I'm just being paranoid." I said, before finishing up the brushing. Abby hopped up, checking her reflection in the mirror, before running over to the bag I had gotten for her at the start of our journey. "What are you doing?" I asked, watching as she rummaged through it. She paused, looking up for a few seconds, something hidden in her hand.

"Just... Close your eyes for a few seconds, will you?" She asked, and I shrugged closing them. A few seconds later, she cleared her throat. "Ok, you can look now." She said, and I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze landing on the diamond heart necklace I had gotten for her in Hearthome City. She was blushing, not quite meeting my eyes, as she wore it around her neck.

"Hey, I was wondering what happened to that necklace. I-I assumed you didn't really like it, why wear it now?" I asked, feeling confused. Abby sighed, before shaking her head and smiling weakly at me.

"That's not it at all! I do like it. In fact, I-I love it!" She said, holding the heart shaped diamond in her hand. "I've carried it with me ever since you gave it to me. In all honesty, I've really wanted to wear it, I just didn't want to cause any trouble for you..." She said, staring longingly at the necklace. I looked at her in confusion.

"Trouble? What do you mean, trouble?" I asked, and Abby sighed, looking up at me with sad eyes.

"Void, you always said that pokephilia could get you in trouble, or scorned by others. Pokemon don't really get each other jewelry, so everyone would automatically know that you gave it to me, and the reason would be clear. I didn't want you to have to deal with all that." She said, sitting down next to me.

"So what changed your mind?" I asked, pointing out that she looked more comfortable wearing it now. She smiled, leaning against me.

"Truthfully, you did, just now when you were talking with Officer Jenny. I get how you had to tell her about us, but when you did, you didn't even hesitate to tell her that you _love_ me. If you can say that to a cop, I can deal with wearing this. And anyways, if it does end up causing problems, my fur is pretty long, maybe I could hide it in my fur." She said, and I hugged her. After talking for a little while, I looked at the clock, noticing that it was now twelve forty eight.

"Hey Abby, Snow should be up by now. I'm about to head over and see how she's doing. Are you coming?" I asked, and she hesitated for a few seconds, before getting up and nodding. "Great! However, if you are coming with me, I want you to be nice to her, ok?" I asked, and her eyes widened.

"What?! I told you, I don't trust her. She attacked us and was with Team Lotus, why would I be all nice to her?!" She asked, glaring at me. I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Listen. I get that you don't trust her, I really do, but I'm not asking you to be all buddy buddy with her, all I'm asking is that you acknowledge that she's a part of the team now, and that you treat her how you like to be treated. Can you at least do that? Just give her a chance to at least _earn_ your trust, please." I said, looking pleadingly at her. She held her hard glare for a few more seconds, before her gaze softened, and she sighed.

" _Fine_... I guess that's fair. I'm not doing this for her, I'm doing this because you asked me to, but just know, I still don't trust her..." She said, crossing her arms and grumbling to herself. I smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"That's all I ask, thank you for at least being willing to try." I said, and she smiled back, before we grabbed our stuff and left the room, heading over to check on the bedridden Absol. On our way over, we saw Nurse Joy exiting Snow's room. When she saw us, she smiled.

"Hello again Void, I was just checking on the Absol." She said, leaning against the wall and looking at the both of us.

"Hey Nurse Joy. Speaking of Snow, how is she doing? I was planning on heading out today, is she able to travel?" I asked, and she gave me a look of confusion, before she seemed to understand.

"Oh, so you actually adopted her? Officer Jenny said something about it when I asked her if she wanted me to call pokemon control, but I didn't think it was you." She said, and I nodded, pulling out the adoption paper and showing her. She looked them over, before handing it back, giving me a smile. "Well, I'm glad she's getting a second chance. I don't know if you're aware or not, but they would have most likely put her down after what she did if you hadn't offered to take her in." She said, and I sighed, nodding again.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Officer Jenny told me about it. Snow may have attacked us, but I still don't think she would have deserved that." I said, and Nurse Joy sighed, nodding slowly.

"Well, whatever anyone says about you, they can't say you don't have a good heart. I have to get back to work now, good luck on your journey." She said, before walking away, giving us one last wave. With a sigh, I looked at Abby, before I opened the door, and we walked inside. Snow was standing near the window, looking outside as people went by, going about their business. When she heard the door open, she turned to look at us, flinching slightly when she saw Abby.

"O-oh, Void and... I-I'm sorry, but I don't think I know your name. What are you both doing here?" She asked, looking and sounding nervous. I smiled at her, ushering Abby into the room, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Snow, this is Abby, and I told you yesterday, I was going to stop by and see how you were doing." I said, and she nodded, sitting down next to the window.

"R-right. I'm doing fine, the nurse said I am fit to travel again." She said, falling silent for a few minutes, before turning to Abby and looking down. "Look, Abby... I-I still don't like the idea of pokemon being with humans, but I'm sorry about last time, I was under orders to attack you all, and I had to..." She said, taking a deep breath. Abby didn't say anything, she only closed her eyes, facing Snow and focusing. Snow looked confused, taking a step back. "W-what is she doing?" She asked, sounding nervous. I sighed, shooting her an apologetic look.

"Listen, I may have trust in you, but Abby still has doubts. Please don't hold it against her, it just means you have to gain her trust. Right now, she's using her Aura Sense, which is a way to read someone." I said, and she nodded, calming down slightly. A few seconds later, Abby opened her eyes, sighing.

"Well, I sensed no ill intentions." She said, looking at me, before her gaze snapped to Snow. "However, I still don't trust you! Aura Sense is reliable for reading people, but it's still not completely right all the time, you could just be extremely good at hiding things." She said, glaring at the Absol. Snow only nodded, looking away.

"R-right, to you, this could be just one big act to lower everyone's guard, however, I promise you it's not, but my word means nothing, so I'll do everything I can to prove that I mean no harm." She said, bowing her head. Abby looked at her in shock, but a few seconds later, she pointedly looked away. The room fell silent after that, and for a few minutes, we all just sat there, looking around. Finally, I broke the silence, clearing my throat. Abby and Snow looked at me.

"Well, are you ready Snow?" I asked, and she looked at me in confusion, her head tilting slightly.

"Ready? Ready for what, V-Void? What are you talking about?" She asked, and Abby also looked confused. I smiled at her.

"Well, now that you are part of the team, I think that you should be formally introduced to everyone else, since you will be traveling with us from now on." I said, smiling when she nodded, standing up.

"S-sure, I'm ready, it will give me a chance to actually stretch my legs." She said, walking nervously towards us, stopping when Abby deemed her a little too close. Standing up myself, I opened the door, holding it open for both pokemon to walk out. Walking down the hall, Snow looked at Abby in curiosity, gaining her attention. When she glared at her, Snow gulped.

"S-sorry, but where did you get that necklace? Did Void get it for you?" She asked, giving Abby a look of curiosity. Abby absentmindedly fiddled with the pendant.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" She said in hostility. Snow flinched slightly, and I elbowed Abby slightly, causing her to wince, before sighing. "I mean... Yes, he did. Why do you ask?" She repeated, her voice strained as she forced herself to be a little nicer. Snow gulped again, before taking a deep breath.

"N-no reason, I just thought it looked good on you." She said, flinching, as if she thought Abby was going to yell at her. However, that never happened. Abby blinked a few times, holding the diamond heart.

"T-thanks, I guess..." She said, mumbling to herself. Snow nodded, falling silent once again. As we made it to the lobby, I stopped Abby and Snow, then peeked around into the lobby. Mitsuki, Hikage, Rose, and Kazumi were in the lobby talking, while Christa sat on a chair nearby, disguised as her human self. Satisfied, I turned back towards Snow and Abby.

"Ok. Snow, can you wait right here? I'm going to get everyone ready to meet you, so in the meantime, just get comfortable, and I'll be right back, ok?" I asked, and she nodded, sitting down. "Come on Abby, let's go." I said. Abby froze for a few secondsand looked at the Absol, before sighing and following. After we were out of earshot, she leaned close to my ear.

"Void, I get that _you_ trust her, but is it really smart to leave her alone? She could sneak away!" She whispered, looking back towards Snow, who was sitting in the hallway, looking down at the floor.

"And where would she go? She's no longer part of Team Lotus, and Officer Jenny is going to be keeping a close eye on her as long as we are in Oreburgh City. Like you said, I trust her, and sometimes, trust and respect go a long way." I said, and Abby reluctantly nodded. As we entered the lobby, Mitsuki looked up, walking over to us.

"Good morning Void, Abby, Kazumi said we had a new team member, but she didn't seem to happy about them, did they do something wrong?" She asked, and Abby scoffed. "Wait, so you don't like them either? Who are they anyways?" Mitsuki asked, but before Abby could say anything, I butted in, nudging her.

"I'm about to tell everyone now, just hold on." I said, before getting everyone's attention, gesturing for them to gather around. When everyone, including Christa, was standing around me, I cleared my throat, causing everyone to fall silent. "Now, I assume that Kazumi has told you all that we have a new team member." I said, getting a few affirmative nods. "Well, she is correct, but before I tell you all who it is, let me say one thing. I am aware that she has caused a lot of trouble, but I ask you to give her a chance." I said, looking at everyone, before walking towards the hallway, coming back followed by Snow.

A collective gasp went around the group, the only ones who stayed silent were Abby, Kazumi, and Christa. Mitsuki grabbed Hikage, pushing him behind her and glaring at Snow. Rose bared her teeth, also going to stand near Hikage. Kazumi also glared at her, but she stayed near Christa. Sighing, I stood my ground, meeting each of their eyes.

"Relax!" I said, and they looked at me in shock. "I asked you all to give her a chance! Like I said, I get that she caused a lot of trouble, but that was because she was ordered to. Just give her a chance to prove herself." I said.

"But Void, She attacked us!" Mitsuki loudly stated, clinging to Hikage, who was trying to wriggle away. I shook my head.

"No buts, I get the mistrust, but she was ordered to attack us by a group of people called Team Lotus, but she is no longer part of that group. Look, this is not up for debate, I already signed the adoption papers, just give her a chance! Anyways, everyone meet Snow. Snow, this is Kazumi, Hikage, Rose, and Mitsuki. You already know Abby and Christa. Welcome to the team." I said, and she only nodded, looking nervous. Seeing this I sighed and pulled her aside. "Just give it time. I'm sure they'll come around eventually. In the meantime, if you need to talk to anyone about anything, just come to me or Christa, ok?" I asked ands she nodded.

"I-I guess you can come to me as well." Said a voice from behind me. I turned in surprise, only to see Mitsuki. She gave Snow a small, forced smile. Seeing both mine and Snow's looks of surprise, she sighed. "Look, if Void says you're fine, then I believe him, he hasn't given any of us a reason not to trust him, but just know, if you do anything to put anyone in danger, I will personally come after you, no matter what Void says, do I make myself clear?" She asked, giving Snow a serious look. Snow nodded quickly, taking a step back.

"S-so, what are we doing today?" Snow asked, after a few minutes of silence. I looked at Mitsuki, before sighing, confusing the Absol.

"Well, Mitsuki, Abby, Rose and I are going to be challenging the Oreburgh City Gym, while you, Hikage, Kazumi, and Christa are going to be sitting out and watching." I said, watching as her eyes widened.

"What?! I-I know how to fight, why am I sitting out?" Snow asked, looking annoyed. I deadpanned, looking at her for a few seconds.

"Are you serious? I know you can fight, we witnessed it first hand, but that's not the reason. You were literally just bleeding internally, I can't risk you ripping your stitches. Relax, it's just for this gym, there will be plenty of battles for you. For right now, please just take the time to heal." I said, and she sighed, nodding her head in reluctant agreement. "Ok, well now that that is taken care of, let's go!" I said, gathering everyone for the gym battle, explaining the plan. As we got ready to leave, Nurse Joy called me back.

"Void, hold on!" She said, walking over to me, pulling out an envelope. I looked at it, before looking at her in confusion. She shrugged as well. "That man that was here when you first got here said this was for you. I think his name was Cruso... Anyways, now that I handed you that, I have to get back to work, good luck with your gym battle!" She said, walking back behind her desk. I smiled and thanked her, before walking out of the pokécenter, being followed by the others. When we left, I opened the envelope, pulling out a slip of paper. Reading it, my eyes widened, and Abby strained to read it as well.

"Hey, it looks like Liam's wedding is coming up, we've been invited." I said, and everyone looked excited, except for Snow, who just looked confused.

"Who's Liam, and what about the gym battle?" She asked, looking around. When the others seemed to ignore her, I sighed, shaking my head at the others.

"Liam is a friend, we were there when he proposed to his now fiancée. As for the gym battle, don't worry, the wedding isn't for another couple days, we can still have the battle today." I said, before letting Abby read the note, before putting it and the envelope in my bag. With nothing left to be said, we made our way silently to the gym, though, not without excitement. When we made it, I took a deep breath, smiling at everyone. "Well, here we are. As soon as we enter this gym, we will have officially started the gym challenge. Keep in mind though, as long as you have fun, that's the real point of this journey." I said, gaining a cheer from everyone. With one last deep breath, I walked into the gym, which consisted of a large cave, and we took our first real steps towards the ultimate goal, and into the large room.

 _Hello everyone, here's chapter 20 of Void's Odyssey. I am sorry if it took awhile to write, I have been taking a few more breaks to avoid writers block. In other news, I am glad I reread this, as I could have made a lot of English speaking peoples very mad by typing fiancé instead of fiancée. Again, sorry for the longer wait time for these chapters. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you in the next one._

 _~spudbud16_


	23. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 _Void's POV_

As soon as we stepped foot into the cave like gym, we were blasted by cool, damp air, contrasting greatly with the warm muggy feel of outside. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim, flickering light of the torches on the walls, but when they did, my eyes widened in awe. Looking around at the others, I saw I wasn't the only one. Everyone was looking around in amazement, except for Rose, who had a nostalgic look on her face. For a few minutes, she stood completely still, just taking in the view, before sighing, a slight smile on her face.

"Oh Arceus, I haven't been here in years!" She said. I looked at her in surprise, not realizing that she may have been here in the past.

"Wait, Rose, you've been here already?" I asked, and she looked at me incredulously, as if I should have already known. Seeing my still clueless look, she sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"Of course I have, don't you know anything about your mother and I's journey?" She asked, and when I shrugged my shoulders, she looked surprised. Her mouth opened, as if she were about to say something, before closing it again, seeming to be thinking about something. "You know what? With that being a big story, I'm almost surprised she hasn't told you, but knowing Anna, she probably wanted you to find out on your own." She said, shaking her head slightly.

"Hold on a minute, what are you talking about, what aren't you telling me?" I asked, looking at her suspiciously, but she just looked away, an innocent look on her face. I looked at her for a few more seconds, before rolling my eyes in annoyance, realizing that I wasn't going to be getting anymore information from her. Giving up on trying to figure out what she was keeping from me, I started walking on, before coming across an extremely bored looking man, sitting on a boulder near what looked to be an elevator of some kind. Upon seeing me, the man instantly jumped up, putting up an obviously faked smile.

"Ah, champ in the making!" He said, the cheesy smile still on his face. Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow, looking at him in confusion. For a few seconds, he just smiled, before it fell, and he sighed, once again looking bored. "I know, I know, but I am required to say that every time someone challenges the gym. You are challenging the gym, aren't you?" He asked, and I nodded. "Right, well in that case, I am also required to give you advice. The leader of this gym, Roark, is a user of rock type pokemon. This means two things. First of all, if you have any fire type pokemon, I would avoid sending them in to this gym battle, as they're weak against rock types. Alternately, water type pokemon are strong against rock types." He said, seeming to have memorized the information he was giving me. I nodded, taking it to mind and looking around at everyone, before I noticed something.

"Wait, what if my team consists of no water types? Is there still a chance to win?" I asked, and the man gave a thoughtful look around us, before nodding, seemingly satisfied.

"Well, I would say so, it all counts on your strategy. If you just go in to the battle when you aren't prepared, of course you will lose. I've heard stories about people going into gym battles even when they clearly had a type disadvantage. They still won, and it was because of their clever strategies and determination." He said, and I slowly nodded, understanding what he was trying to tell me. It didn't matter that there were no water types on my team, as long as I came up with a good plan, I can win for sure. "Now that that is out of the way, I'm supposed to hand you these." He said, reaching into what looked to be a small ice box. I watched in confusion, before he brought out two water bottles, closing the lid of the cooler and handing the bottles to me. I slowly took them and placed them in my bag.

"Uh, thank you, but why are you handing me these?" I asked, and he just sighed.

"According to the company that bottles this water, they say they get it from some spring deep in the heart of Sinnoh. This water supposedly has healing properties when given to a pokemon, but I doubt that's true. If it was, then that spring should be dried out by now with all the water they sell. At the very least, it should be refreshing after the battle." He said, before sitting back down on the boulder. "All that out of the way, good luck with the gym battle." He said. Thanking him, we all stepped into the elevator, letting the doors close, before the elevator started to descend. Abby gave me an excited look.

"I can't believe we're finally having a gym battle! I know I said that last time in Hearthome City, but this time we're actually getting to battle! Have you chosen who is going to be in this gym battle yet?" She asked, still looking excited. I nodded, smiling at her.

"Yes actually. If I'm correct, trainers get to choose three pokemon, so I am going to chose you, Mitsuki, and Rose to be in this gym battle." I said, before noticing the wide eyed look that Hikage was giving me.

"W-what about me? I could fight!" He said, bearing his teeth, trying to look tough. I sighed, giving him an exasperated smile, before leaning down so that I could l look him in the eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure you can, and one day, you might just get that chance, but right now, you're a little too young." I said, seeing his dejected look. With a sigh, I thought for a few seconds, before coming up with an idea. "I'll tell you what, how about sometime after the gym battle, I'll train with you, ok?" I asked, and he instantly perked up, once again looking like his old excited self. Happy that he was happy once again, I stood back up, looking at Abby, Mitsuki, and Rose. Abby pumped her fist in the air, looking excited, while Mitsuki just smiled. Looking at Rose however, she looked conflicted. Giving her a look of confusion, I once again bent down. She looked at me in surprise, before sighing, realizing that I noticed her acting this way.

"V-Void, if I have to fight, can you call me last...?" She asked, giving me a hesitant look. I raised an eyebrow, looking at her in confusion.

"Sure, I don't mind, but can I ask why? You said that you and mom used to compete in gym battles, don't you like them?" I asked, and she sighed, looking around at the others with a sad look.

"I-I do like gym battles, I love to battle, I just... I have my reasons." She said quietly, looking away from me again. Seeing her hesitance, I gave in.

"Of course. You don't have to fight if you don't want to. If it comes to your turn and you still don't want to fight, just let me know, I'll understand." I said, giving her a smile. She looked at me in surprise for a few seconds, before smiling back and nodding, feeling better. Straightening up, I felt the elevator steadily slow down, before coming to a complete stop. A few seconds later, the doors slowly slid open, revealing an awe inspiring sight. The room in front of us was like none I had ever seen before. The room was like a massive cavern. All along the walls, bleachers were placed for spectators to watch the gym battles that took place, a big plexiglass wall in front, acting as a shield to block any stray pokemon attacks. In the very center of the room, a flat area the size of a football field lay, covered in stray boulders and dirt.

"Wow..." Abby said, her eyes wide as she looked around. As we walked closer, I could see that a battle was already started. Looking at the two people in the battle, I was surprised to see Greg, battling against who I could guess was the gym leader, Roark.

"Hey, it looks like Greg beat us here, let's sit down and watch while we wait." I said, taking a seat on the bleachers nearby. Shrugging, everyone sat down to watch the battle. Turning back to watch, I could tell it was already almost over. Both sides looked to be down to their last pokemon, and both pokemon looked tired. Hikari was panting slightly, facing off against a Cranidos, who was struggling to stand up, balancing on one of it's knees.

"Hikari, use Crunch!" Greg called, pointing at the Cranidos. Suddenly, with a burst of speed from seemingly nowhere, the Luxio charged forward, moving extremely fast, before biting the poor Cranidos, causing it to thrash around, trying to shake her off. It continued to flail around for a few more seconds, before seeming to run out of energy. When the Cranidos fell on to it's side, only then did Hikari let go, standing triumphantly over the downed pokemon, one paw holding it down. I stared in amazement, never having witnessed a battle before. Having been beaten, Roark slowly clapped, before calling back his pokemon into it's pokéball. Seeing that the battle was over, we started making our way down to the field. As we got closer, I started to make out what they were saying.

"That was truly a great battle! When your Wingull fainted, and you sent out your Luxio, I honesty thought that I was going to win. After all, it's not everyday that someone with a type disadvantage could win that easily!" Roark said, taking a step towards Greg and shaking his hand. Greg smiled, shaking his hand back.

"Thank you! Me, Hikari, and Kaito worked really hard to come up with a strategy that would give us a chance to win." He said, while Hikari nuzzled into his side. He smiled down at her.

"Well, whatever training you've been doing, it has really worked! You've definitely earned this Coal Badge!" Roark said, handing a shiny metallic badge to Greg, as well as a small pouch of money for winning. Greg smiled, taking the badge and placing it in his badge case. As if finally noticing me, he turned towards me, his eyes widening as he saw me.

"Void? Are you here for a gym battle?" He asked, reaching into his bag and grabbing an Oran berry, giving it to Hikari, who was still at his side. She thanked him, before chewing up the berry, seemingly regaining some of her strength.

"Yes, after waiting for so long, we're finally ready to take on our first gym!" I said, and Abby gave an excited grin. Greg nodded, understanding our excitement.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a little longer for that gym battle. After that battle with Greg here, my pokemon are in serious need of some healing at the pokécenter." Roark said, an apologetic look on his face. I frowned slightly, looking at Abby, Rose, and Mitsuki.

"Will we still be able to have our gym battle today?" I asked, feeling my excitement start to slip. Roark nodded, giving me a reassuring smile.

"Of course! It shouldn't take very long, in fact, if you wait here, I should be back in a few minutes. Why don't you just wait on the bleachers, and I will be right back." He said, before walking to the elevator, leaving without another word. I looked at Greg, before shrugging and taking a seat.

"So, how have you been? I'm sorry about leaving so abruptly last time, things just got out of hand quickly, I panicked." Greg said, giving me a guilty look. I shook my head, waving it off.

"Don't worry about that, I understand. I've been doing ok, we have a new member on the team. Greg, this is Snow." I said, gesturing towards the Absol, who was sitting a little off by herself, away from everyone else. Seeing this, he gave me a look of confusion.

"What happened? Why is she sitting all alone?" He asked, looking back at her. I sighed, pulling him aside, away from the others.

"She... She's not exactly liked by the others. I said, before continuing when he just looked even more confused. " On the way here, her and another Absol attacked us. We defended ourselves, and made our way to Oreburgh City. After we got here, I found out she had followed us, and was extremely injured. Since she attacked us, they were planning on putting her down, and even after what she did, I couldn't let that happen, so I adopted her, and the others just haven't forgiven her yet." I said, explaining what had happened.

"Why am I not surprised that you would do something like that? Anyways, why did she attack you all? Nobody just attacks someone for no reason at all." He said, looking curious. I nodded, agreeing with him, before telling him about the group known as Team Lotus, as well as asking if he had ever heard of them before. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before shaking his head. "I can't say I've heard of them before, but if they are anything like you say, they sound dangerous. I'll keep an eye out.

"So enough with talk of danger, how have you and Hikari been doing?" I asked, curious to find out how they are doing. Greg smiled, sighing in content.

"Pretty good, we've been doing a lot of training for this gym, I've even caught a Wingull that I named Kaito. He really helped during this battle!" He said, showing me the new pokéball. I nodded, taking a long look around the gym's battlefield, trying to come up with a strategy for when it was my turn. "What about you? How have things been going between you and Abby?" He asked. Taking a last look around, I gave him a smile.

"Pretty much the same as you. Our relationship hit a few snags, but in all, we've been doing good. Can I ask you a question? You've just won, do you have any advice I could use? I'm still trying to come up with a strategy." I said, and he thought for a minute or two, before shrugging.

"I'm sorry, there's not much I could tell you without knowing your fighting style. All I can say is, be careful. There are a lot of places around this field that offer hiding spots, if you lose track of Roark's pokemon, you could be in serious trouble. Not only that, in the midst of battle, all the sand and dirt can make it hard to see." He said, and I slowly nodded, taking in the helpful information he was giving me, before a thought came into my mind, and my eyes widened. "What's wrong?" He asked, but I waved him off.

"Nothing, but I think I may have just came up with an idea!" I said, and he smiled, giving me a thumbs up, before seeming to notice Christa for the first time.

"Wait, who's that, and why didn't I notice her before?" He said, scratching the back of his neck in confusion. Following his gaze, I realized that he left before meeting her.

"Oh, uh, that's Christa, she decided to come along with us. You left before that though." I said. Hearing her name, Christa looked up, waving at us, before going back to talking to Kazumi.

"Does she know about..." He trailed off, gesturing between me and Abby, who was still sitting with the others, looking as excited as ever.

"You mean about me and Abby? Yeah, she knows." I said, nodding and taking a seat again. Greg looked surprised, but shrugged, sitting down next to me. For the next ten minutes, we sat and talked about the plans we had for our journey, and where we were going next. Eventually, the sound of the elevator opening marked the return of Roark, as he made his way down towards us.

"Sorry about that. Now that my team is all healed up, we can have our gym battle, but first, I like to learn more about my challengers. I find that it helps me get a better read on who I'm up against." He said, looking at me with a look of intrigue. I smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. I understand, your team needed a rest, they take priority over a gym battle." I said, and he nodded. "As for about me, there's not much. My name is Void, and this is my first time taking on a gym." I said.

"Ok Void, well what is your goal? Why are you taking the gym challenge?" He asked, looking at me in the eyes. I hesitated for a few seconds, not sure if my reasoning was good.

"To be completely honest, I first wanted to set out to have fun and see new things, sure, winning the eight gym badges and taking on the Elite Four is one of my dreams, as long as my friends and I are having fun, that's all that matters to me!" I said, and for a few seconds, Roark looked surprised.

"To have fun and see new things, huh? That's a new one for me. Most of my opponents say they just want to beat the Elite Four and become Champion. I must say, it's kind of refreshing to meet someone with such a rare outlook. This makes me want to battle you even more!" He said, a determined smile on his face.

"Well, I'm ready whenever you are!" I replied, smirking at him, as he went to his side of the field. A man who previously was sitting on the bleachers listening, now ran onto the field, stopping to the side of us.

"This is a three on three pokemon battle between traveling trainer Void, and our very own Oreburgh City gym leader, Roark! Each side may choose three pokemon, and only the challenger may substitute pokemon! This battle will end when either side's pokemon are unable to battle. When you're both ready, send out your pokemon!" The referee said, taking a step back as Roark unclipped a pokéball from his belt.

"Right, Void, I saw you exit the elevator towards the end of Greg and I's battle, meaning that you only saw the last member of my team, while I can see every member of your team, I clearly have the advantage of surprise on my side." He said with a confident grin on his face, before holding out the pokéball, pressing the button in the center, causing a beam of red light to shoot towards the ground in front of him. When the beam of light faded, in it's place, stood the Cranidos from before, albeit, stronger looking now that it had been healed at the pokécenter. "Now that you have seen the pokemon I am going to use, who are you going to call out?" He asked, looking patiently at me. Having promised to call Rose last, I looked at Mitsuki and Abby, before making up my mind.

"Mitsuki!" I said, calling her next to me. Having not been called first, Abby's shoulders slumped slightly, but she still gave Mitsuki an encouraging smile. The Zoroark quickly made her way to my side, looking at me in expectation.

"Yes Void? Am I going up first?" She asked, and I nodded, giving her a smile.

"Yes, but hold on. Your opponent is going to be strong, and this battlefield will give them an advantage. You will need to use your speed more then your strength, get it?" I asked, and she nodded. "As long as you remember the training we did, you should be fine." I said, before sending her farther on the field, ready for the battle. Seeing this, the battle judge began.

"If both sides are ready..." He said, taking a deep breath and a few steps. "Then let the battle begin!" He yelled, blowing the whistle that was around his neck. Like a switch had been flipped, I could see the fire of determination in Roark's eyes, as he took the first move.

"Cranidos! Get in close, then use Headbutt!" Roark yelled. With that, the Cranidos began to run, moving with speed that was hard to imagine something with such small legs to use. Getting close enough, it tilted it's head down, preparing to ram into Mitsuki. Seeing it getting closer, she jumped out of the way, causing it to run right past her. "Cranidos! Keep it up!" Roark yelled. Hearing his call, the pokemon slowed down, before turning around, charging at Mitsuki once again.

"Mitsuki! Dodge, then use Foul Play!" I yelled. She nodded, quickly moving to the side. When Cranidos started to pass her, she grabbed onto it, redirecting it's attack towards a large boulder. Panicking slightly at being redirected, he tried to turn, losing his balance and hitting face first into the rock. Cranidos slumped down, looking dizzy.

"Cranidos! Are you ok? Are you still able to go on?" Roark asked, waiting tensely as Cranidos slowly stood back up, slightly wobbling. After a few seconds however, he shook himself off, glaring at Mitsuki. "Great! Now use Pursuit!" Said Roark, pointing at Mitsuki. Without a second's delay, Cranidos started charging forward, as if it hadn't just crashed straight into the boulder.

"Alright Mitsuki! You know what to do!" I shouted, and she nodded, bunching up her muscles and dodging to the side. This time however, Cranidos followed, crashing head first into her, causing her to go flying onto her side. "M-Mitsuki! Are you ok?!" I shouted, getting ready to run over and check on her. Before I could though, she shakily got to her feet, rubbing her muzzle and breathing heavily. Seeing her nod at me, I relaxed slightly, before turning to Roark, a shocked look on my face. "W-what the hell was that? Mitsuki clearly dodged!" I said, and he smirked.

"I'm guessing you've never heard of Pursuit before. Like the name suggests, this move allows the user to pursue the target and deal a strong blow as well. You would have to have a high speed stat to truly avoid it. This means, you can't just dodge anymore!" He said, a smug look on his face. I nodded, starting to understand the situation. Mitsuki was panting heavily, looking weakened by the Cranidos's attack. However she wasn't the only one. Roark's Cranidos looked tired after using it's most recent attack. Pair that with the fact that it had headbutted a boulder with it's face, we may still have a chance to win.

"Mitsuki, are you still able to battle?" I asked, worried by the way she looked. However, she just nodded, giving me a small smile.

"Y-yes, I'm fine Void, h-he just surprised me, that's all." She said, taking a deep breath and letting it out, looking ready to fight again, but Roark held a hand up.

"Both of our pokemon are on their last legs, how about we finish this up with our strongest attacks, last pokemon standing, wins the round!" He said, and I hesitated slightly, before nodding. With this decided, we resumed the fight, calling out our final moves. "Cranidos! Finish this with Pursuit once again!" He yelled, and Cranidos ran forward, putting all of it's energy into the attack.

"Mitsuki! Use Night Daze!" I said. She closed her eyes, beginning to gather her energy for her last attack. The whole time she was focusing, Cranidos barreled forward. When he was within range, Mitsuki's eyes suddenly opened, and she released a pulse of pure, dark energy, straight into the Cranidos, sending him flying into the ground. He just laid there, not getting up. Only the slow rise and fall of it's chest proved that it had only fainted. Mitsuki stood still, breathing heavily. The announcer, having been watching from the sidelines, blew his whistle.

"Cranidos is-" He started to say, before Mitsuki fell to her knees and passed out, completely out of energy. "Both sides are unable to battle! However, since Mitsuki was the last pokemon standing, the point goes to the competitor; Void!" He said, as Roark smiled, raising a pokéball and recalling his pokemon, while I ran out onto the field, running to Mitsuki's side. As I did, the referee called out. "Hey kid, you need to stay off the battlefield, unless you're forfeiting, you need to-" He began, but was cut off by Roark.

"Wait, it's obvious he doesn't keep his pokemon in pokéballs, he's just making sure she's ok. Let him go." He said, and the announcer reluctantly nodded. I gave the gym leader a thankful look, before crouching down next to Mitsuki.

"Hey, Mitsuki, are you ok?" I asked, helping her up. She nodded, before slowly looking around.

"I'm alright, but... D-did we win?" She asked. I couldn't help but smile at her hopeful look, nodding my head at her.

"Yes, Mitsuki, you won that round, but now it's time for you to sit back and watch the last two rounds." I said, helping her to her feet. She gave me a look of confusion, as well as sadness.

"W-what? Why? I can still fight! I don't need to sit out!" She said, giving me a stubborn look. My eyes widened, and I shook my head.

"Are you kidding me? You've already done enough. You know I can't send you back out to fight again. I would never be able to forgive myself if I overworked you! Please, just sit back and relax with the others." I said, pleading with my eyes. For a couple seconds, she still looked stubborn, but then she sighed, nodding her head. I gave her a smile and helped her to the bleachers, before running back onto the field, taking my spot, calling Abby next. Roark smiled, before grabbing his next pokéball.

"Are you ready for the next round Void?" He asked, holding the pokéball out in front of him. I looked at Abby for a couple seconds.

"Actually, I'm sorry, but can I have a minute or two to talk to Abby real quick?" I asked, and he slowly lowered the red and white orb, looking confused.

"Sure... I guess so. But keep in mind, other people may come to challenge the gym, so we can't take too long." He said, and I nodded in acknowledgment, before turning to Abby, who was looking confused.

"Yes, Void? What is it? Shouldn't we be battling?" She asked, her head tilted slightly in confusion. I nodded, but still pulled her aside.

"Yes, but that's just it. I wanted to tell you that I came up with a strategy. Greg gave me an idea. First, I'll need you to use your speed and attacks to weaken Roark's pokemon, just like you would normally do. It isn't going to be until they're weak that the plan comes into play, but when it does, I'll need you to do what I ask, no matter how strange it may be, ok?" I asked, and she gave me a look of confusion, but shrugged and nodded anyways. With that out of the way, we both stepped onto the field once again. Seeing this, Roark raised an eyebrow.

"Are you ready for the battle now?" He asked, softly tossing the pokéball in the air and catching it. I nodded, and he grinned. "Great! Now you may have taken out one of my strongest pokemon, and I honestly can't say I expected that, but from this point on, that won't happen again." He said, a confident grin on his face. I smirked, and Abby got in position.

"With what I have planned, we'll see about that!" I said, facing off against the over confident gym leader. His eyes slowly narrowed, before he smiled.

"You've got fire, kid! I like that, you remind me of another challenger from years ago, but that has nothing to do with this battle. Get ready, because I'm not going easy on you!" He said, before sending out his next pokemon. When the flash of red energy vanished, in it's place, was a Geodude. "Geodude may not know many moves, but he sure as hell makes up for it with the power of the ones he does know! For example... Geodude! Use Rollout!" He shouted, and suddenly, the boulder like pokemon tucked it's arms against it's body, before beginning to roll at high speeds towards Abby.

"Abby! Quick, dodge!" I yelled, thinking fast. Without a second to spare, she jumped out of the way, and a couple seconds later, the Geodude crashed into a boulder right behind where she had just been standing, completely smashing through it. When Abby landed, her eyes were wide. "Great job, Abby! Use Metal Claw now that he's close!" I said, and she nodded, her claws growing in length, as well as glowing white. With a few strong swipes, she managed to push him back slightly, also managing to deal some considerable damage. The round had gone on for another ten minutes, neither side gaining the upper hand. Looking at Abby and the Geodude, I could see that both pokemon were starting to tire out, each move becoming more and more sluggish. Seeing this, I made up my mind. "Abby! It's time for what we talked about! Use Aura Sphere, and aim at the ground!" I called. She looked at me in confusion, and so did Roark. "Please! Just trust me on this!" I pleaded, and she just shrugged, forming a sphere of pure energy in her palm, before throwing it at the ground, causing a cloud of dirt and sand to rise into the air. Seemingly understanding what I was trying to do, she began to fire more spheres at the ground, and within seconds, the air was full of the dirt and sand, seriously reducing visibility.

"I get it!" Roark said, sounding impressed, his voice slightly muffled by his shirt as he tried to avoid breathing in the dust. "By kicking up all this sand, you're making it harder to see, therefore, making it harder to attack! However, there's a big flaw with that plan!" He said, pausing for a few seconds. "If we can't see, that means you can't either!" He said, and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" I asked, before raising my voice. "Abby, use your Aura Sense, and follow it up with Close Combat!" Abby closed her eyes, using her Aura Sense, before running in, vanishing completely within the flying dust. The Geodude just tensely sat there, looking around.

"Geodude! Focus, then dodge!" Roark yelled. Geodude, in a panic from it's lost visibility, tried to do as he was told, rolling himself to the left. Unfortunately, due to him not being able to see, he bumped right into Abby, who took full advantage of his momentary surprise. With powerful punches and kicks, she began her attack. Geodude tried to roll away, bumping into boulders and large rocks, but Abby closely followed, not letting up at all. After a few seconds, everything was silent. After waiting for a few more seconds, the Referee ran to one of the side walls, flicking a switch and activating a large fan that was built into the wall. After a few more minutes, the fan began to do it's job, blowing away the dust, slowly revealing the results of the battle. Abby was standing triumphantly over the Geodude, standing in a pose just like Hikari had done, with one foot holding it down, a smile on her face.

"Geodude is unable to battle! The point goes to Void!" The Announcer said, blowing his whistle, signifying the end of the round. Once again, Roark raised his pokéball, recalling the downed Geodude. This time however, he didn't bring out another pokéball. Instead, he slowly began clapping, walking out onto the field towards me.

"Excellent battle, if I may say so myself!" He said, walking up to me and holding out his hand. I slowly reached out and shook it, looking at him in confusion. Now that the gym battle was apparently over, the others that were watching started to make their way down.

"Thank you sir, but... Don't you have a third pokemon?" I asked, feeling confused. He sighed, nodding and grabbing a third pokéball.

"Yes, that's right, but I'm afraid I won't be able to send him out for a battle." He said, a sad sort of look on his face.

"Why not? Did something happen to him?" I asked, feeling concerned. Roark just gave a sad smile, looking down at the pokéball he held in his hand.

"I guess. In a way, it's something that happens to everyone eventually, whether human or pokemon. You see, he's getting on in years, and starting to slow down. I try to put him in little, mock battles with my other pokemon, but I wouldn't feel right having him in an official gym battle anymore." He said, and I nodded, understanding how hard it must be. "Anyways!" He said, putting on a smile. "Enough of this sad talk! These should be happy times; You did just win after all! As gym leader, it is my duty to congratulate you, and to hand you these." He said, before handing me a brown and silver accented badge, which I placed in the badge case I received from Nurse Joy in Hearthome City. He also handed me a small leather pouch, an insignia matching the gym badge on the side. Confused, I looked inside, my eyes widening in shock. Inside the bag, was a bunch of coins.

"W-what's this? Why are you giving me this?" I asked, still holding the bag, my hands shaking slightly. He chuckled, amused by my reaction.

"Every time you win at a gym, not only do you win a badge, but you also win a monetary prize as well. In the case of the Oreburgh City Gym, that prize is 1680 pokédollars." He said, as if that was not a large amount of money. I stared at him in shock for a few seconds, but before I could say anything, Greg and the others walked up, congratulating me on winning.

"Holy shit, Void! That was amazing! When and how did you come up with that trick?" Greg asked, his eyes widened. Roark also looked intrigued.

"Yeah, Void. I would also like to know as well. I've heard of challengers using the battlefield to their advantage before, and through all my years as gym leader, the most I've seen was people using the rocks and boulders as shields to avoid attacks, but this is the first time anyone's done that!" He said. I rubbed the back of my neck, shrugging my shoulders.

"To be honest, you gave me the idea, Greg." I said, and he looked confused. "You told me that if the sand was kicked up, visibility would be difficult, and that got me thinking, maybe I could use that in my favor. With Abby's Aura Sense, I knew she wouldn't have any problems locating Geodude." I said, and Roark nodded.

"Abby being able to see his aura, she could have figuratively found him even in complete darkness. That's pretty clever!" He said, giving me an approving look. Before I could even thank him, the sound of the elevator descending distracted all of us. "Well, it sounds like I have more challengers on the way, so I'm afraid I'll have to cut this short, but I'll tell you what. How about sometime in the future, we get together for a rematch, and hopefully I'll be ready for any tricks." He said, giving me one last congratulations, before we all walked to the elevator, walking up to it right as the doors opened, revealing two young looking trainers. They waved to us, before passing us. As we entered the lift, Greg turned towards me.

"Again, good job on that battle! That really was a good surprise move. Now that you have this city's gym badge, are you heading for Eterna City next?" He asked. I took out my map, looking at it for a few seconds before finding the city he was talking about. Seeing that it was pretty close, that would be the best place to go. Sighing, Greg held out his hand. "You know what? Can I see your pokédex for a few seconds? I could make things a whole lot easier for you." He said, and I nodded.

"Sure, sure." I said, absentmindedly handing him my pokédex, my mind pretty much only on the map, trying to figure out a good travel plan. He thanked me, before taking the pokédex, silently fiddling with it. After a few minutes, it beeped, letting me know something had downloaded.

"Here you go, I installed the Sinnoh map on your pokédex, so that should make things... Easier." He said, trailing off a few seconds later. Confused, I looked up at him, my face draining of color as I saw that he had found the Legendary Permit.

 **Another chapter of _'Void's Odyssey_ ' finished. To all of the people who can write gym battle scenes easily, I seriously applaud you, as that was the hardest thing I had to do, and I don't even know how well it turned out Dx**

 **If you did enjoy it, please leave a review, I could really use some insight if I did the battling right.**

 **~spudbud16**


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 _Void's POV_

Time seemed to slow, as I looked at my pokédex. Displayed on the screen, was the Legendary Permit that was installed on it by Officer Jenny. While installing the Sinnoh map on my pokédex, Greg had stumbled across it. He looked at the screen in shock, before looking up at me.

"V-Void! This is a Legendary Permit! They only sign these out to people who have Legendaries!" He said, looking at me in amazement.

"S-so, you installed the Sinnoh map onto my pokédex?" I asked, and he sighed.

"Void..." He said, rubbing his temples in annoyance, but I didn't stop talking.

"T-this is actually going to be a lot easier!" I said, beginning to sweat a little bit.

"...Void!" He said, his eye twitching slightly.

"I can get rid of this paper map now, and clear up a lot of space in my-"

"VOID! When did you get a Legendary?!" He asked, his voice raised. Sighing loudly, I felt myself finally snap, not willing to deal with this.

"Look here, I didn't _get_ a Legendary, and that's all I am going to say! I gave you the pokédex because you said you could do something to make things easier, that was not giving you permission to snoop through it!" I yelled, straightening my back and glaring at him. His eyes widened, and he took a step back.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to pry." He said, and I sighed, calming down slightly.

"Just... Don't snoop around in other people's things like that. Anyways, to answer your previous question, yes, Eterna City is our next destination, since it is the nearest place with a gym, but first, we have to return to Hearthome City. We were invited to a wedding by a good friend, and I don't plan on missing it. After all, he's already done so much for me and the team." I said.

"Same here... You wouldn't happen to be talking about Mr. Cruso, would you?" He asked, giving me a curious look. I looked at him in shock.

"T-that's right... You were invited?" I asked, and Greg nodded, reaching into his bag and pulling out a small envelope, matching the one I had received.

"Yup, Mr. Cruso and my father were apparently close friends growing up. So, as well as my father being invited, me, my mother, and my brother were also invited. I met him, but I don't really know him that well." He said, and I looked at him in confusion.

"Hold on, you have a brother?" I asked, and he once again nodded, placing the envelope back in his bag.

"Yes. I have an older brother named Peter. Until recently, he's been over seas in the Unova region, studying hard to become a pokemon professor. Why do you ask?" He asked, looking at me curiously. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess I just always imagined you as an only child." I said, and he nodded, giving me an understanding look.

"I could see how people may think that, what with him having been gone for so long." He said, frowning slightly, before clearing his throat. "So, how do _you_ know Mr. Cruso?" He asked, as the elevator slowly came to a halt, the doors opening. I smiled, pulling out Abby's pokéball, showing it to Greg as we left the gym.

"Well, Liam came up with a new pokéball called the-"

"The Luxury Ball. My dad was actually one of the scientists who helped construct them." He said, before giving me a sheepish look as he cut me off. I blinked, giving him a surprised look, before nodding.

"...Yeah. Well anyways, Liam couldn't just sell them without testing them first. That's where I came in. He offered me free pokéballs and some money if I would help him test them." I said, as we walked to the pokécenter, sending Abby and the others to follow Nurse Joy's Chansey, while Greg returned Hikari to her pokéball and handed it to Nurse Joy, along with the other two pokéballs containing his other pokemon. As Nurse Joy took the pokéballs, Greg and I sat down and waited. "We were actually there when he proposed." I said, and he gave me an interested look.

"Huh, well have you gotten them a wedding gift yet?" He asked, looking at me curiously. I frowned, shaking my head.

"No, not yet. I was actually planning on waiting until I got back to Hearthome City. What I planned to get would be there." I said. "What about you?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't really know. Maybe I'll get them a camera. That way, they can create more memories together, I guess. You said you knew what you were going to get them?" He asked, and I nodded.

"That's right. I'm going to try to get them a picture locket." I said, pulling up a picture from the 'Chimecho Jewellers' on my pokédex. The picture was of a small silver locket, Fire Stones encrusted around the sides. Greg looked at the picture, before turning his confused look to me. "What? What's with that look? Is it not a good gift?" I asked, and he quickly shook his head.

"No, it's not that. It's just, why the Fire Stones? Is that supposed to be a separate gift for Mr. Cruso and his Fennekin? What about the actual wedding gift?" He asked, and I blinked, looking at him blankly.

"...This _is_ the wedding gift. Wait a second, who do you think he's marrying?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"I don't know, like I said before, I was only invited because of my dad, I have no clue who he proposed to." He said, and I shook my head.

"Greg, think about it, why else would I plan on getting this fancy locket with Fire Stones?" I asked, and he thought for a few seconds, before looking at me in shock, his eyes wide.

"Wait a minute. A-are you saying that he is marrying his Fennekin?!" He asked in disbelief, his voice in a loud whisper. I frowned slightly.

"Well, Braixen, but yes, Liam is marrying Fiona. Why, is something wrong with asking the one you love to marry you?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No! I think that's cool. It's just... When I first met him, I never pegged him as someone who would love a pokemon! Isn't he worried about his reputation?" He asked, and now it was my turn to look at him in shock.

"Are you kidding?! It's not about his reputation. If they love each other, and they are both happy, that's all that matters. And anyways, Liam's company is the only one who makes pokéballs and similar tech, so if people don't like him, what are they supposed to do, just not buy anymore pokéballs?" I asked, and he sighed.

"No, I guess I see your point, but now I'm going to have to rethink my gift idea." He said, frowning. I looked at him in slight confusion.

"What are you talking about? A camera will be perfect!" I said, but he shook his head, looking unsure.

"I don't know. With a wedding like this, a camera would just seem a little lackluster. I guess I'll keep looking with Hikari and the others. If I can't find anything else, I'll stick with the camera." He said, and I shook my head, sighing.

"I'm telling you, a camera is good, but if you're sure, at least allow me to treat you and the others to lunch, we did just beat the Oreburgh City gym after all!" I said, and he smiled.

"Thanks for the offer, Void, but no thank you. You treat your team to some lunch, but we're going to head out. Tell you what, though. After the wedding, and when you beat the Eterna City gym, give me a call, and we can meet up and have a battle, sound good?" He asked, holding out his hand. Looking at him for a few seconds, I nodded, shaking his hand.

"Sure... I guess that's doable. I'll definitely keep that in mind." I said, watching him walk up to the front desk and retrieve his pokéballs, before giving me a final wave, walking out the door. Watching him go, I sighed, sitting next to Christa. After a few seconds, I took a deep breath, and she looked at me. "I'm sorry..." I said, and she looked confused.

"What? Why are you apologizing to me? I'm not aware of you having done anything that warrants an apology..." She said, looking thoughtful.

"I was careless... Greg found the Permit, and now he knows some what that you are traveling with us." I said, and she gave me a calming smile, shaking her head.

"No, don't worry about that, you don't need to apologize. In fact, now that you brought it up, I should thank you for trying to keep my secret for so long. I've actually been thinking about it a lot, and quite frankly, it's caused more trouble then good. M-maybe it would be better if I stopped trying to keep my identity a secret. After all, I am what I am." She said, slouching her shoulders and sighing, looking at me in distress. "I don't know though, what do you think? Would it honestly be better if I just dropped my disguise?" She asked, and I frowned.

"Christa, that's not something I can rightfully answer. That is something you need to think through. Whatever you decide, I'll help you in whatever way I can." I said, and she nodded, looking away.

"T-thank you, Void, I appreciate it." She said, and I smiled. Going quiet, we waited in silence until a pair of doors opened in the back of the pokécenter, and Abby's and the others walked out, followed by the Chansey from before. Seeing me, the Chansey walked over.

"Hello sir, I was told you'd be able to understand me. Your pokemon are all in good health, and your Absol should be able to battle again. Though, if she begins to complain of any pain, please bring her to the nearest pokécenter right away." She said, and I nodded.

"Thank you, and I will." I said, giving her a smile. She smiled back, before going back to work, walking through the back doors once again. Saying goodbye to Nurse Joy, we left the pokécenter and started casually walking down the city sidewalk, watching the cars go by.

"So Void, what are we going to do now? Are we going right to the wedding?" Abby asked, looking at me in curiosity. I smiled, placing my hand on her shoulder. She smiled, leaning a little closer.

"Actually, the wedding isn't for another couple days. I was thinking maybe we should stop and get some celebratory lunch somewhere. We did just win our first badge, after all!" I said, and Hikage gave an excited little yip.

"Ooh, can we get ice cream again?!" He asked, running around my legs, and Rose had to wrap her ribbons around his waist to get him to stop. I blinked a couple times.

"Uh, ice cream isn't really what I had in mind, but I guess we could when we get to Hearthome. First however, let's get some actual food." I said, and he smiled, happy that he was still going to get ice cream. Mitsuki sighed, shaking her head.

"S-sorry about him, you made a mistake introducing him to ice cream. Anyways, do you have an idea on where we could eat? Not all places allow pokemon to be out of their pokéballs." She said, giving me an inquisitive look.

"Not really. This is the first time I have been to Oreburgh, so I'm not aware of anything here. What about you, Rose? You mentioned having been here before, do you know anywhere we could all eat?" I asked, and all eyes fell on her. She looked around nervously, biting her lip.

"O-oh, well, I-I'm not really sure if it's still open after all these years, but your mom and I once went to an old, pokemon friendly diner. I-I think it was called the 'Munchlax Diner'..." She said, sighing in relief when everyone looked at me once again. Seeing this, I looked at her in confusion, before shrugging it off.

"Munchlax Diner..." I said to myself, typing it into the digital map's search bar. "Ah, here it is!" I said, as the map zoomed into Oreburgh City, showing a picture of a small building. "According to this, it should still be open. In fact, it should be right down this street." I said, pointing to the street on our right. Having gotten the general location of the Diner, I put away my pokédex, and we began to move. As we walked, Rose sighed and pulled me aside.

"Hey, Void, can I speak to you for a few seconds?" She asked, and I nodded, slowing down and letting the others go ahead of us.

"Sure, what's wrong? What's on your mind?" I asked, and she frowned slightly, looking down at the ground for a second or two, before looking at me, giving me a small, forced smile.

"Congratulations for beating the gym and getting the badge!" She said, reaching up with a ribbon and tapping it against my palm in the form of a high five. I smiled, shaking my head slightly.

"Thank you, I appreciate that, but that's not really what you wanted to talk about, is it?" I asked, looking into her eyes. She hesitated for a few seconds, before shaking her head sadly.

"No, you're right. I-I don't want to fight in any gym battles, or the pokemon league. You didn't even need me in your battle in the first place." She said, and I looked at her in shock.

"I-I guess that's ok, but can you at least tell me why? If you're feeling unneeded, then you're wrong. I may not have had to call on you today, but what about next time?" I asked, and she shook her head, giving me a small smile.

"You did fine, and you could continue to do fine without me in the future. Being unneeded isn't the reason for my decision though. However, I don't really want to talk about it. All you need to know, is that I don't want to fight." She said, and I sighed, nodding my head.

"I understand. Though I don't really know your reasoning, I respect your decision. If you don't want to fight, you don't have to." I said, and she smiled.

"Thank you, Void. I'm glad you understand. Maybe one day I'll tell you, but for right now, I'll offer my support from the sidelines." She said, before running ahead, stopping beside Hikage. As I watched, Snow slowed down, matching me step for step.

"Wow, that was kind of you to do." She said, looking up at me. I looked at her in surprise, not understanding what she meant.

"You heard what we were talking about? And what do you mean that was kind of me?" I asked, looking confused. Snow nodded.

"Of course I heard what you were talking about. I am a disaster pokemon after all. It is my nature to always be keeping my senses sharp. As for how that makes you kind, if I had said I didn't want to fight when I was in Team Lotus, I would have been starved and beaten until I agreed to fight." She said, giving a sad little sigh. I looked at her in shock, my eyes and mouth wide open.

"That's horrible!" I said, shaking my head. "I am nothing like that though. If you ever don't want to fight, all you have to do is say so. Don't ever feel like you have to fight!" I said, and she nodded, looking down at the ground. For a few seconds, we walked in silence, before I looked at her. "Hey Snow, can I ask you a question?" I asked, and she nodded, looking at me in curiosity. "You called yourself a disaster pokemon before. I remember hearing something about that in school. Is it true that Absols can cause disasters to happen?" I asked, and she gave a huff of annoyance, rolling her eyes.

"No, Void. That is not true. Humans just always assumed that was the case when they saw us in places where something went wrong. In fact, that's one of the reasons I was brought up in Team Lotus." She said, continuing when she saw my look of confusion. "Absols have always been in disaster zones because we were trying to warn you humans about the disasters before they happened. Unfortunately, that caused us to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Team Lotus, wanting to strike fear into people, started breeding Absols as their 'soldiers'." She said, going quiet. I looked at her, seeing the sadness in her eyes. Falling silent as well, we continued on walking. Unbeknownst to us, the others had overhead our conversation. Eventually, we arrived at our stop. The Munchlax Diner was a small building. In fact, it looked to have been only a small cabin. Walking inside, we were greeted by an older couple.

"Hello, young'uns, we haven't had customers in so long! Would you like a menu?" The older woman asked, leading us to a table, while the older man went into what looked to be a small kitchen. I smiled, shaking the woman's hand.

"Hello, and yes please. We just earned our first gym badge, so I thought I would treat the team to some lunch!" I said, and she smiled back.

"Is that so? Well, congratulations on your victory! In that case, I'll be right back with your menu." She said, before walking off. Sitting down next to Abby, I looked around the small diner.

"This place seems kind of neat... How is the food?" I asked, turning to look at Rose. She smiled, looking around with a look of nostalgia on her face.

"I'll say. This place looks exactly like it did when your mom and I first came here. The food here is amazing! Especially the Pecha berry cobbler and Oran berry pancakes." She said, her mouth watering slightly. "I already know I'm getting the Pecha berry cobbler!" She said, licking her lips. The woman from before walked back, holding a menu in her hands. Handing it to me, she gave me a smile.

"Here you go. When you're ready to order, just let me know." She said, starting to walk away. I thanked her, before opening the menu and looking through it, making sure to show it to everyone.

"So, Abby? See anything you want?" I asked. She smiled, pointing at the hamburgers. Smiling at her, I nodded, before showing the menu to the others. Mitsuki chose the Oran berry pancakes, Christa chose a salad, Kazumi got a bowl of mixed berries, and Hikage also wanted the pancakes. Turning to Snow, I gave her a curious look. "What about you, Snow? What do you want to eat?" I asked, and she sighed.

"I-I'm not actually hungry right now, don't worry about me..." She said, lying on the floor near the table. I looked at her in concern for a few seconds.

"Are you sure? Are you feeling alright?" I asked, and she looked at me with a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"I'm fine! I said don't worry. In fact, I'll be sitting outside, I could use the fresh air..." She said, taking a deep breath, before getting up and walking outside. I watched her, worried about her. Sighing to myself, I decided to give her space, getting up and relaying our order to the lady from before.

 _Snow's POV_

Sitting down near the door, I sighed, watching as the people went about their business. I looked back at the diner, frowning slightly. I hadn't meant to snap at Void like that. I know he was only worried about me, but I honestly don't feel I deserve that kindness. Laying my head on my paws, I slowly began to close my eyes, deciding to sleep through their meal. Feeling as if I had just closed my eyes for a second, the sound of the door opening caused me to look up. Mitsuki stood next to me, holding a plate of fluffy looking pancakes.

"Hey, Snow. Do you mind if I sit out here too?" She asked, and I frowned, rolling my eyes.

"I would rather be alone right now, but go ahead, I can't tell you what to do." I said quietly, laying my head back down. She slowly sat down, though she did give me space, which I appreciated.

"Lovely weather today, isn't it?" She asked, trying to make small talk. I grumbled a bit, but nodded my head, agreeing with her.

"Mmhmm, I guess it is. Let me guess. Did Void send you out here to check on me because he was worried?" I asked, giving her a knowing look. I was surprised though when she shook her head.

"Void is worried about you, but no... He did not send me out here, I came out here because I can tell something is troubling you." She said, before sliding her plate of pancakes towards me. I looked at them, before looking up at her.

"Thank you, but didn't I say that I wasn't hungry?" I asked. Mitsuki only grinned, pushing the plate even closer to me.

"You may say that, but your stomach is saying something completely different!" She said, and I flinched when my stomach growled. "Look, just have one. If you still say you're not hungry, you don't have to eat any more." She said, and I reluctantly nodded, taking one off the top and slowly ate it. My eyes widened when I tasted it. It was definitely way better then the scraps of food we were given in Team Lotus. "They're pretty good, aren't they? Feel free to eat as much as you want!" She said, smiling at me. I hesitated for a few seconds, before looking at her.

"Only if I'm not the only one eating." I said, pawing the plate a little closer to her. She looked at me in surprise, before shrugging, taking another pancake. We sat in relative silence, each munching on our pancakes. Eventually, Mitsuki looked over at me, a look of concern in her eyes.

"So what's wrong? What's been bothering you? You look like you have something on your mind." She said, and I frowned, scoffing at her.

"Why do you care? Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?! Aren't you mad at me for attacking you and putting your son in danger? Aren't you worried about me double crossing you and returning to Team Lotus?! Do you really think that I deserve kindness?!" I asked, panting slightly. Mitsuki only closed her eyes, nodding her head as if understanding something. She listened to my small rant, before opening her eyes, looking at me.

"So that's it? That's what has been bothering you?" She asked, and I froze, looking down. My hesitation was all that she needed. "Listen. Of course I am mad that you put my son in danger. That's something that's going to make it very hard to trust you fully. As for why I am being so nice to you, I am willing to give you a chance. Unlike the others, I know what it's like to be untrusted, I know how you're feeling." She said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure you do! What would you know about how I'm feeling?! You're trusted by everyone and friends with all the others, while I'm sat here pretty much alone!" I shouted, and she sighed.

"Void gave you a second chance and put his trust in you without hesitation, and right now, you feel you don't deserve it. Tell me, did I get that right?" She asked, giving me a knowing look. I blinked, opening my mouth, but nothing came out. For a few seconds, I just sat there, before growling slightly.

"So what! You know how I feel! You still have friends who trust you!" I snapped, and she sighed, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, I could her sadness welling up. I looked at her in confusion.

"Let me tell you a little story, one that I hope will relay how much I know what you're going through. If after this you still don't want me around, I will leave you alone, though I really feel you could use a friend." She said, before taking a deep breath and launching into her story. I listened silently as she told me about her life with her old trainer, and how she was forced to breed. She told me how she eventually managed to escape with her son into the woods. I occasionally nodded my head, letting her know that I was still listening. "Eventually, Hikage got hurt in a hunter's trap. Void, having found him, rushed him to the nearest pokécenter." She said, and I stopped her for a few seconds.

"I-I'm sorry that happened. I'm not trying to be inconsiderate, but how does that have anything to do with what I'm going through?" I asked, and immediately regretted it when even I could hear how rude that was. "I'm sorry. Please continue." I said, and she sighed.

"As I was saying, after he brought Hikage to the pokécenter, Void came to find me and let me know what happened. At the time, I wanted nothing more then to run to the pokécenter and hold Hikage, but Void said that it was getting late, and that it was dangerous at night. Deciding to stay the night in my cave, we waited till morning. It was then that I did something that I still regret to this day; I killed Void..." She said gloomily. My breath caught in my throat.

"Wait... You killed him?!" I yelled, causing a few wild pokemon walking by to freeze, before taking off running. I flinched, ducking my head sheepishly, before looking at her in shock. "H-how could you have killed him if he's sitting inside right now?" I asked, and she frowned.

"Let's just say... He has friends in high places." She said, looking away. I looked at her in confusion, but before I could say anything, she continued on. "I panicked and ran him to the pokécenter. When the others found out what I had done, Abby was quick to chase me away and attack me. In her words, I was nothing but a 'cold hearted bitch'..." She said, her shoulders sagging.

"S-so how did you go from being hated like that to where you are now?" I asked, and she sighed, taking a deep breath and sweeping her hair out of her face.

"Well, Void being Void, when he healed, he forgave me right away and invited me and Hikage onto the team. The others just eventually came around, and they've been nice to me since." She said, and I nodded to myself, frowning slightly.

"Well, at least you do have friends." I said, laying my head back down, before looking at her in surprise when she shook her head sadly.

"Actually, I may only have one real friend." She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"What? Why? What do you mean? Everyone treats you with respect and kindness, I'm sure they're all your friends!" I said in disbelief, but she continued to shake her head.

"Sure, they all talk to me and treat me with kindness, but I've noticed many times the way they look at me when they think I'm not looking. That look of uncertainty. As if, they don't know if, or when, I may lash out and seriously hurt someone again. The only one who doesn't look at me that way is Kazumi. Though, that may just be because she was brought onto the team after all this happened and she probably has no idea about what I did. Maybe I'm just imagining things, or maybe it's just my guilty conscience. Who knows?" She said, and I looked at her sadly. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up again, shaking off her sadness. "Anyways, enough talk about me. If you'd like me to stick around, I will." She said. When I didn't say anything, she began to stand. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be inside." She said.

"Wait!" I called, and she froze, turning to look at me. I sighed, closing my eyes for a few seconds. "Look, I'm sorry for being rude earlier. I guess being the one everyone hates does that to you. If you're actually willing to give me a chance, who am I to waste it." I said, giving her a weary look. She smiled, walking over and sitting down next to me. A few minutes later, I looked over at her, seeing her looking at the sky as a plane went by, leaving a long trail of white behind it. "Hey, by the way Mitsuki, thank you." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.

"Thank you? For what?" She asked, tilting her head, and I smiled slightly at her cluelessness.

"For being the only one willing to give me a chance..." I said, trailing off. "I mean, sure, Void gave me a chance, but you know what I mean." I said, and she smiled.

"Don't worry about it! Us lonely pokemon got to stick together, am I right?" She asked with a playful smile, and I faltered for a second or two, before smiling back and nodding. "Hey, Snow? Can I ask you something?" She asked, and I looked at her curiously.

"Sure, go ahead. Ask away!" I said, and she sighed.

"Well, first of all, I should say that the others and I kind of overheard you and Void talking about being beaten and starved if you didn't want to fight." She said, and I flinched, looking away.

"Ah, there it is. Well? Ask away... What do you want to know about my horrid life in Team Lotus?" I asked, exasperation in my voice. Mitsuki's face fell, as if she realized she may have possibly upset me.

"O-oh, well, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but, did you attack us because they threatened you?" She shakily asked. Instead of answering right away, I looked up at the sky.

"No. Not necessarily... But they didn't have to!" I said quickly, when I noticed her look of shock. "When you're raised by people like Team Lotus, that's something you learn immediately. When you do something wrong, no matter what it is, you obviously get punished. Most of time, that punishment is severe. I had already been punished with no food for a couple days for... misbehaving." I said, a small blush on my face.

"Misbehaving?" She asked, oblivious to my blush. I sighed, burying my face in my paws, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Yeah... Misbehaving. Think of it this way. There are two groups of Absols. Those meant for fighting, and those meant for... Breeding." I said taking a deep breath, looking away as Mitsuki looked at me in curiosity.

"Ok... Well, what were you?" She asked, and I puffed up my chest.

"Obviously, I was a fighter! In fact, I was probably the only female fighter there. Apparently, I had bad genes, and therefore, I wasn't allowed do anything but fight." I said, a hint of sadness in my voice. "Although, that didn't stop me from trying." I finished, chuckling slightly to myself.

"Would you have still attacked us if it was different?" She asked suddenly, causing me to choke slightly. I looked at her in surprise for a few seconds, before sighing.

"W-well, I mean, I meant what I said before. A-about not believing in pokephilia, b-but I don't think I would have attacked you guys." I said, swallowing nervously. She frowned slightly, looking thoughtful for a few seconds.

"Well, either way, thanks for answering my questions." She said, and I shook my head, smiling.

"No problem, but thank you again for coming out here and sitting with me. I really am sorry about before." I said, and she put a hand on my back.

"No problem. As long as you meant what you said, and you really do regret attacking us, I'll always be here to lend an ear." She said, and I nodded, smiling appreciatively at her.

"Hey, Mitsuki?" I asked, and she playfully raised an ear. I chuckled, shaking my head. "Can you keep this talk between us?" I asked, giving her a pleading look, and she smiled, nodding.

"Of course, don't worry. As far as anyone else is concerned, this conversation never happened. Now, come on, let's go back inside! As much of a beautiful day it is today, Void is probably worried about us!" She said, and I nodded, following behind her as she opened the door and walked in. At the sound of the door, everyone looked up from the table.

"Hey, there you two are! Snow, are you feeling ok?" Void asked, looking at me. I smiled, and gave a small nod, to which he smiled back.

"Yes, Void, I'm ok. I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, I guess I just had... A lot on my mind, but I'm fine now." I said, and he nodded.

"Good, I'm glad you got everything taken care of. We're about to head out, I've already paid for lunch, so we can just go." He said, gathering everyone together, before heading for the door. I fell in beside Mitsuki as we began to file out the door. "Oh, by the way, Snow. I know you said you weren't hungry, but I got some extra food for you in case you do get hungry. Everyone else put aside some food for you as well, so if you're hungry, just let me know, ok?" He said. I looked around at the others. Though they kept their eyes from meeting mine, I could still tell that they were trying to show me _some_ kindness. As we left the diner, I couldn't help but think.

 _Maybe this new journey wouldn't be so bad after all..._

 **Hello everybody. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I just wanted to say, I am sorry for the wait on this chapter. End of Summer colds... You just got to hate them. I was sick in bed for about a week, and add to that the time it took for my brain to start coming up with ideas again. I'm still a little sick. Anyways, if you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review. I love reading what you all think of this story.**

 **~spudbud16**


	25. Author Note

I will be taking a small vacation from writing for a bit. Since I lost my job, as well as having recently got over a big cold, I have been doing nothing but writing, sleeping, and watching TV, and I feel it's about time I get off my lazy ass and try to get more active. I'm thinking about updating my bio with a writing status section, in case I ever need another vacation. Anyways, I am sorry for any inconveniences.

~spudbud16


	26. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 _Snow's POV_

Walking out of the diner, we headed towards the city's entrance, and passed the guard sitting in the gaurd station building separating Oreburgh City and the woods. Void waved at him, and the gaurd hesitantly waved back, before looking at each of us in confusion. As we left the building, Void chuckled, and I looked at him strangely, before shrugging. As we walked, Abby tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Void?" She asked, and he turned to look at her. "If we have a wedding to go to, shouldn't we be moving faster?" She asked, and Mitsuki nodded.

"I have to agree. We might be late if we continue at this pace!" She said, but Void just smiled, shaking his head.

"Relax, the wedding isn't for two more days. Also, Hearthome City isn't that far away, so we are ok! In fact, I was planning on us camping out here when the sun goes down, and make it into the city in the morning. That way, we can have a full day to walk around Hearthome." He said, and I couldn't help but frown.

"Is that really such a good idea?" I asked, and he looked at me in confusion. I sighed, looking away. "As much as I hate bringing it up again, remember, this is where we first met. Team Lotus has never been the kind to give up easily." I said wearily. I could feel the others eyes on me as I sat there, before I heard a sigh, and Mitsuki spoke up again.

"You have to admit, Void, she does have a point. If we sit out here overnight, we run the risk of getting attacked again." She said, sticking close to me. Void nodded, looking thoughtful for a few seconds.

"I guess you're right. I honestly don't think they'd stick around after losing to us, but it's better to be safe. What about the cave? It's close by, and with your illusion ability, we should be safe." He said, and Mitsuki looked at me.

"Hey, Snow? Were you told of any caves around this area when you were looking for us?" She asked, and I thought for a few seconds, before shaking my head.

"Not that I can remember. Trust me, if we had been aware of any caves, we would have looked there for you." I said, and she nodded.

"Then I guess it could work, at least for a single night. So, Void, is that where we're going now?" She asked, and Void nodded.

"Yes, so do you think you could lead the way?" He asked, and Mitsuki rolled her eyes and shook her head, an exasperated look on her face.

"Arceus, Void, you'd think by now you would've remembered where it was located! You've been there twice already! Don't tell me you actually don't know!" She said, and Void just shrugged, looking sheepish.

"L-look, I'm not very good with directions, why do you think I always had the map! Can you please just lead the way? I promise I'll try to memorize where it is." He said, and Mitsuki rolled her eyes.

"Fine! You better pay attention this time, this will be the last time I show you!" She said, sticking her tongue out playfully, before stepping in front of the group, leading the way off the path, to where I could only assume the cave was located. While everyone else filed in close to Mitsuki and talked amongst themselves, I followed along silently, sticking to myself. Eventually, as the sun began to sink, we arrived in a clearing, a gaping opening in front of us. I looked around in shock, and a couple seconds later, Mitsuki walked over.

"Hey, what's the matter? You look like you saw a ghost type!" She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"We've been in this area before, but this cave was never here!" I said, and she chuckled slightly, causing me to look at her strangely.

"That may have been me. Here, follow us!" She said, as Void and the others headed inside the cave. I stood still for a few seconds, before following. When everyone was inside, she looked at me, before smiling. "You ready?" She asked, and I nodded. She closed her eyes and raised her hands in front of her. I watched in surprise as the entrance began disappearing. When she finished, she opened her eyes and looked at me, chuckling when she saw my expression. "Pretty cool, right?" She asked, and I absent mindedly nodded, reaching out with a paw.

"Yes... It's awesome, but is the entrance still-" I began, before giving a yelp as my paw went straight through the wall, and I tumbled outside. When I sat up and shook myself off, I looked back towards the cave, only to be shocked when the entrance wasn't there, and there was no sign of any opening that I could of fell through. A few seconds later, I heard laughter, and Mitsuki's head poked through the wall.

"Hey, Snow, are you ok?" She asked, helping me up and inside. I nodded, looking embarrassed as I walked back into the cave. "Hey, don't worry. Void nearly did the same thing!" She said, and Void flinched, scratching the back of his head. I frowned, before looking at Mitsuki.

"So... This cave has been here all along, and this is where you all were?" I asked, looking around, and she nodded her head.

"Most likely. If the cave appeared not to be here, then that means it was probably being hidden by my illusions!" She said, and I nodded in understanding, before sighing, causing her to look at me in confusion.

"So we walked right by you, and I didn't even sense you... That just goes to show how much I apparently suck at tracking!" I said moping slightly. Mitsuki placed a hand on my back, and I looked up at her.

"Hey, don't be like that! It's a good thing you weren't able to find us! If you did, we surely would have lost the fight, and you wouldn't have been freed from Team Lotus!" She said, and I sighed.

"I wouldn't have been beaten nearly to death if I would have, but I do see your point. If I had found all of you, I would have been treated horribly anyways. I am glad in a way that I failed, as at least I have a friend." I said, flashing her a thankful smile as we sat away from the others.

"That's the spirit! Now, are you hungry? Remember, you still have the food the others saved for you." She said, and I blushed slightly as my stomach growled loudly.

"I-I guess so..." I said, and she chuckled as we walked over to Void. He looked up, smiling when he saw us.

"Hey, Snow, Mitsuki, what can I do for you?" He asked, and I gave him a weary smile.

"Hey Void, could I get some of that food from earlier?" I asked, and he smiled, nodding and reaching into his bag, pulling out a clear container with a handle.

"Sure! I told you it was for when you were hungry after all. Here you go!" He said, holding it out for me with a smile. I grabbed the handle and nodded my thanks, before walking off into a corner to eat. Seeing Mitsuki still standing there, I called her over.

"What's wrong, Snow?" She asked, walking over to me, tilting her head slightly with a look of confusion on her face. I sat the container down, before smiling at her.

"Nothing's wrong, I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind sitting down and eating as well. You only had a little to eat earlier, so you must still be hungry, right?" I asked, pushing the container closer to her. She looked as if she were going to refuse, before a loud gurgling from her stomach caused her to sigh, sitting down next to me and reaching into the container, grabbing a wrapped hamburger. As she unwrapped it and took a bite, she looked at me in confusion.

"So, why do you always seem to want me to eat with you, Snow?" She asked, and I frowned slightly, looking back at her after grabbing a hamburger as well.

"I don't know. You're my only friend here, and I thought that this is what friends do. Look, I'm not really used to having friends, so if I'm doing something wrong, could you please let me know?" I asked, and she looked at me for a few seconds, before giving me a smile.

"You're right, I guess this is something friends do, I was just curious." She said, and we went back to eating. By the time we had finished the food, Void stood up.

"Alright everyone, we all need to get some rest for tomorrow. Not only will we be doing some shopping, but I also wanted us to be able to have some fun in Hearthome City!" He said. Mitsuki stood up as well, before turning to look at me.

"Well, I'm going to go over to the others and get some sleep, are you coming?" She asked, but I shook my head, sighing slightly.

"No, that's ok. I doubt they'd want me anywhere near them when they're asleep. I'd just unnerve them." I said, and she gave me a sad look, before sighing.

"I really think you should give them a chance, but if you're sure you want to sleep away from everyone else, I won't try and force you, but if you change your mind, I'll be over here." She said, walking over to the others. I watched her as she settled down next to Void and the others. As I listened to the sounds of everyone softly breathing, I let my eyes wander around the cave, lit up only by the moonlight filtering through the cracks in the ceiling. I still couldn't believe I hadn't found this cave while tracking Void and his team, I was a pretty good tracker after all. Maybe I'm just not as good as I thought I was. With a sigh, I shook my head as if to clear it, before laying it down on my front paws, closing my eyes and trying to sleep. After about an hour of failed attempts to sleep, I sighed, sitting up and walking towards the hidden entrance of the cave, looking at the others before going outside, into the night air.

 _Mitsuki's POV_

Yawning and stretching, I slowly sat up and looked around. By the milky white light filtering from the ceiling, I could see that it was still night. Absentmindedly scratching at an itch on my chest, I looked over at Snow, only to see that she was missing. Silently walking over to where she was laying, I felt that the spot was cold, meaning she had left earlier. Looking towards the entrance, I frowned slightly. Had she left the cave? Deciding to look for, I made my way to the entrance and stuck my head out through the illusion, looking around cautiously before walking the rest of the way out. "Hello?" I called softly, listening for any sign of Snow. A low growl from some bushes to my right caused me to freeze, my eyes widening. "Snow...? I-is that you?" I asked hesitantly, readying myself in case it wasn't her. A few seconds later, the bushes rustled, and Snow's face poked out from underneath.

"Mitsuki?" She asked, shimmying out from underneath the shrubs, and I sighed in relief, my shoulders relaxing. "What are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping!" She said, and I looked at her for a few seconds.

"I could ask you the same thing! I woke up just now, and you were gone, and the spot you were laying in before was cold. What are you doing out here? Couldn't you sleep?" I asked, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"No, I couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I tried, but I decided I could use some fresh air. I didn't tell anyone because nobody really likes me, and they don't trust me. However, in hindsight, me sneaking out may have caused them to trust me even less if anyone else saw me." She said with a frown, and I looked at her, not being able to help feeling a bit hurt.

"What about me? Do you seriously believe I still don't trust you?" I asked, and she folded her ears back, looking at me with wide, startled eyes.

"N-no! Of course not. I know that you trust me, you're my only friend. In fact, that's why I didn't wake you! You were asleep, and I didn't want to be selfish. Why would I want to disturb your sleep just because I couldn't sleep. What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Snow. If you would have woken me up, I would have been happy to stay up with you. Keep that in mind!" I said, and she looked away. Seeing this, I sighed. "So, what were you doing out here anyways?" I asked, and she turned back to me.

"Nothing much, just watching the stars and guarding the cave. I have a hard time believing Team Lotus would just give up that easily, I might as well keep a look out for them." She said, before scratching at her ear, hidden under her fur.

"You like watching the stars?" I asked, and the Absol nodded, looking up at the night sky, a look of wonder on her face.

"You bet! Whenever I was out on my missions, and it was night, I would always take the time to look up. I remember first seeing stars and space as a pup. It was on a screen when Team Lotus was looking for Rayquaza." She said, and I nodded.

"Hey, follow me, I want to show you something! I think you'll like it!" I said, starting to walk forward, but Snow just stood there. "Come on!" I said, turning back to her.

"But... What about guarding the cave? What if Team Lotus comes around?" She asked, a worried expression on her face. I shook my head, giving her a calming smile.

"Don't worry, it's ok. My illusion will keep the cave hidden while we're away, and we won't be gone for too long. Relax." I said, placing my hand on her back. She sighed, before reluctantly following me. As we walked through the woods, Snow gave me a curious look.

"Hey, Mitsuki, what other illusions are you able to do?" She asked, and I smiled at her.

"Well, I'm actually able to do a few different types of illusions." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.

"Types? There are different types?" She asked, and I nodded at her.

"Of course! There are actually five different types of illusions; Visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and taste. However, I can only do visual, auditory, and olfactory illusions." I said, and upon seeing her confusion, I thought for a few seconds, before coming up with an idea. Looking around, I noticed a small pile of leaves. Focusing on it, I used my illusions to create a small flame, causing Snow to leap back in surprise. "Relax, Snow, it's only an illusion. Now, I want you to tell me about the fire in as much detail as you can." I said, and she hesitantly stepped closer, examining the fire closer.

"W-well, it's orange. I-it's not very big, and I can hear it crackling, as well as smell it burning, is that what you wanted?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Good, but there's more. Try getting closer to the fire, what else can you tell?" I asked. She gave me a skeptical look, before getting as close as she dared to the flame. She seemed to focus for a bit, before stepping back in surprise and confusion. I smiled when I realized that she had noticed what I was talking about.

"What? There's no heat coming from it!" She said, and I nodded, dispelling the illusion, causing the woods to once again darken.

"Exactly! With my illusions, I am able to create a fire that you could hear, see, and smell. The only flaw, is that you wouldn't be able to feel it. That would be a tactile illusion. I can only do so much with my illusions due to my level and skill. Someone with a higher level could do practically anything with this ability." I said, and Snow nodded.

"I understand. So you can create any illusion except for ones that have to do with taste and touch?" She asked, and I smiled.

"Correct, now come on, I still want to show you something!" I said, once again walking ahead into the woods, with Snow right behind me. After walking for a couple more minutes, the trees began to thin out, and we came upon the pond where Void and I had our picnic. The stars and sky reflected perfectly in the calm sheet of water, and Snow looked around in amazement. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I asked, and she simply nodded.

"It's like a mirror, you can see all the stars! Is this what you wanted to show me?" She asked, and I nodded, giving her a smile.

"Yes, when Hikage was even younger, I used to take him here when he couldn't sleep. Something about this place has a calming effect." Snow sat down and looking up, a look of wonder in her eyes.

"Hey, Mitsuki? Do you ever look up at the stars and wonder if we're the only ones out there?" She asked, and I frowned slightly, thinking.

"I can't really say I've thought about it, but you never know. I'm sure there has to be life up there somewhere. I mean, the universe is a big place!" I said. Snow looked content, before scratching her ear again. "Hey, are you ok? You've been scratching at your ear a lot tonight. Here, let me check your ear." I said, getting closer to her. She paused for a few seconds, before shaking her head.

"What, this? I'm fine. I've had this annoying itch for as long as I can remember. It'll go away." She said, but I still gave her a look of concern.

"All the same, wouldn't you like to find out what it may be? I might be able to help." I said, and she looked at me for a few seconds, before nodding, leaning her head towards me and to the side. I carefully parted her fur, revealing her ear. Looking closely, I blinked, shocked by what I saw. "Hello... What is this?" I asked quietly, under my breath. Embedded in the tip of her ear, was a small blinking object, the size of a tick. Flicking her ear, she turned her head slightly to look up at me.

"What is it? Did you find something?" She asked curiously. I looked at her for a few minutes, biting my lip as I tried to think of whether or not to tell her, or just get it off her and lie. On one hand, she should be warned, yet on the other, she seems calm and relaxed right now, telling her the truth would cause her to panic and worry again. Noticing my silence, her eyes widened. "You did find something, didn't you?! Tell me!" She demanded, and I sighed.

"Well, in Team Lotus, did they ever use anything to keep track of where you were at all times?" I asked, and she blinked, looking thoughtful.

"Not that I'm aware of. Though, with all the Absols of Team Lotus being sent all around Sinnoh, it would make sense to need to keep track of all of us." She said, before her face darkened. "Why? W-what did you find?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Snow... You might want to brace yourself, this may hurt." I said, and she gulped nervously, before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, giving me a nod when she was ready. Calming myself, I lined my claws up with the device and carefully hooked them around it, before quickly pulling, causing her to yelp. I flinched, but the job was done, the device laying in my hand. Snow took a shaky breath, turning towards me and looking at what I held.

"I-is that it? D-do you really think they were tracking me?" She asked, and I gave her a sympathetic look, before crushing it in my claws.

"Well, if they were, they can't anymore. I think you're safe." I said, but she shook her head, not looking the least bit sure. Her eyes were wide, and I could see that she was shaking slightly.

"I-it's not me that I'm worried about! I've been traveling with you all since we left the pokécenter, and I'm sure they're aware of that! If they have truly been tracking me, that means they know where all of you are! What if they attack?! I've just been given a chance at a better life, and I've already fucked it up! No matter what I do, I can never seem to catch a break!" She said, starting to hyperventilate due to stress. Seeing this, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. She froze slightly, before burying her face into me.

"Hey, look! You need to calm down and take a few deep breaths! You haven't fucked anything up, do you hear me? This isn't even your fault. They may have been tracking you, but now that the tracker has been destroyed, they won't be able to anymore. Let's go back to the cave and get some sleep, ok? Everything will be ok, you'll see." I said, leading her back in the direction of the cave. Snow hesitated, looking at me worriedly.

"But... I wonder what the others are going to say when they find out what happened." She said, and I frowned, as even though this wasn't her fault, the others would still blame her.

"I'll tell you what. Since we already took care of it, if you don't say anything about it, I won't either. Deal?" I asked, and she looked at me in surprise, before yawning, and I smiled at her. "Now come on, let's go." I said, and we began to head back.

When we made it back to the cave, I could see we weren't the only ones awake.

"There you are! I woke up and you were gone. Another five minutes, and I was about to wake happened?" Abby asked, sitting up and looking at us with tired eyes. I looked at Snow, before shrugging nonchalantly.

"Oh, Snow couldn't sleep, so I thought I would show her somewhere that always helped Hikage sleep." I said, and Snow nodded, stretching and yawning.

"Yes, thanks for showing me that lake, I feel as if I may be able to get some sleep now..." She said, starting to make her way back to the corner she had attempted to sleep in earlier.

"Where are you going?" Abby asked, blinking in confusion as she watched. Snow curled herself up in the corner, before turning to look at Abby.

"I'm sleeping over here. I'm not exactly really popular with you all, I don't want to make you all uncomfortable by sleeping too close." She said. Abby looked shocked, and for a few seconds, I thought I saw a bit of guilt flash over her before she sighed.

"Oh, get over here!" She said, and Snow looked confused, but before she could say anything, Abby gestured for her to come closer. "This cave is damp and chilly, if that's where you were trying to sleep, it's no wonder you were having trouble! I think you'd have a better chance over here." She said, and Snow wearily took a step forward, as if she was afraid of making a mistake. When Abby made no move to stop her, she laid down next to us.

"I... I thought you still didn't trust me. Aren't you afraid I may try something while you're all asleep?" She asked. Abby frowned slightly, looking between me and her.

"Honestly, I'm sorry to say I don't fully trust you. Your aura wasn't malicious, yet that could easily be disguised. However, Mitsuki and Void seem to trust you, so that's good enough for me for right now. Look, no matter what I may think, we're on the same team, and we need to at least try to get along." She said, causing Snow to solemnly nod, before putting her head down and slowly closing her eyes. Looking at Abby, I gave her an appreciative nod, before mimicking Snow and putting my head down, closing my eyes and quickly falling asleep.

 _?'s POV_

"Sir! The signal coming from the recently abandoned Absol has been lost! We have no idea where the group that took her in may be!" A mysterious brown haired woman said, standing at attention in front of a man who was sitting behind a large wooden desk.

"Really... Do you have the last recorded location from the GPS before it went offline?" The man asked, steepling his hands, and looking the woman in the eyes.

"Sir! The signal was lost in the woods between Oreburgh and Hearthome City. What do you suggest we do?" She asked, and the man sighed in thought.

"Find the nearest grunts and have them disguised and stationed in Hearthome. They are to act as a recon unit, keeping an eye out for this group. Tell them they are only to observe and report, they are not to confront them, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir, right away! However, if I may ask a question?" She asked, and he sighed in annoyance.

"Yes, what is it?"

"If I'm correct, this Absol that you had us track, is no longer part of Team Lotus. Why are you still so interested in her? Shouldn't we be using our forces to find and capture the rest of the Legendaries, instead of chasing after a rogue member?" She asked, and the man tapped his fingers on the smooth surface of the desk, waiting for her to finish. When she stopped talking, he raised his brows.

"Ah, my dear Alice, are you quite finished? Do I need to remind you that with that group is Mew? If we keep track of that Absol, we will also be keeping track of the Mew as well. While you are correct in that she is no longer a part of our cause, we still have use for her. Now, if there's nothing else, go and do what I told you!" He said, sending the woman out of the room, the door closing behind her. Once he was alone, he pushed himself out from behind his desk and stood up. "So, you think you can keep your little friends safe by hiding, do you? Think again. I will get my hands on that Mew!"

 **Well! That was a great vacation. I was able to go biking and jogging, as well as actually get other things done (as well as finish up some anime), but it feels good to be back and writing again! Have you ever done something so much, it becomes something you really enjoy doing? Writing has become that to me. Anyways, here is chapter 23, where we get to finally see some of Team Lotus' inner workings (even if it was just a small conversation)! I apologize if this chapter is a bit shorter, only being 4528 words, but taking a break from writing does that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review, as they do help. Hope you all have a happy Halloween (if you celebrate it). It was cancelled for us due to the whole "killer clown" fiasco.**

 **~spudbud16**


	27. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

 _ **Warning: Lemon in this chapter!**_

 _Void's POV_

Rolling over, I slowly woke up, opening my eyes and looking blearily around me. Sitting up, it took me a couple seconds to remember where I was. Continuing to look around the dark, musty cave, my eyes fell on the group, all huddled together, surprisingly, including Snow, who was currently cuddled up against Mitsuki, looking peaceful. Smiling, I stood up and stretched, walking over to the entrance, I looked out. The sky was still dark, and looking down at my pokédex, I saw that there was still about twenty minutes before the sun began to rise. Turning around and walking over to the group, I gently poked Abby in the shoulder, causing her to mumble quietly, before going back to sleep. On the second poke however, she slowly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her eyes as she looked around, before her eyes fell on me. "Oh... Good morning Void. Is... Is it time to head out already?" She asked sleepily. Smiling, I shook my head.

"No, not yet. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit, is that ok?" I asked, and she looked at me blankly for a couple seconds, before nodding.

"S-sure. She said, giving a yawn. I smiled, gesturing for her to follow me as I walked towards the entrance. Following me, we walked until we came to a large rock in the ground, not far from the cave. Sitting down, she looked at me in curiosity. "So, what did you want to talk about that was so important that you had to wake me up?" She asked, giving me a playful smile to let me know she wasn't really annoyed. I looked up at the sky, before sighing.

"Thank you..." I said, and she blinked a few times, before looking at me in confusion.

"Thank you? For what? What did I do?" She asked, and I smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"For giving Snow a chance. When I woke up this morning, I saw how you all were sleeping so close to each other. I know that you still don't really trust her, so that must have been a difficult choice to make." I said, and she looked away, a frown on her face.

"Oh yeah...That. No problem. You know? Snow actually said something that really got me thinking." She said, looking guilty, and I couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Uh oh... It wasn't anything bad, was it? Should I talk to her about it later?" I asked, and Abby shook her head, sighing to herself.

"No... That's ok, it wasn't anything bad, it just opened my eyes a bit, that's all." She said, and I nodded, staying quiet. "First of all, I should say that she apparently had difficulty sleeping last night. Mitsuki and her went for a walk to help tire her out. When they returned, Snow started to head off to a far corner of the cave. When I asked her where she was going, she said that she knew how we didn't trust her, and she didn't want to make us uncomfortable by sleeping so close. That really got me thinking. She must have at least some good in her if she was willing to sleep alone in a damp corner just to avoid making us feel uncomfortable, and here we are, treating her as if she's nothing but pure evil." She said, and I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Look, Abby, Snow isn't evil, not even a little bit. You read her aura, even you said it was fine. You need to understand. The only reason she did what she did, was out of fear of what would happen to her if she didn't. You saw what happened when she lost against us, imagine what might have happened if she downright refused to do what they said!" I said, and she flinched, looking down.

"H-hey, Void? If I ask you something, can you answer as objectively as you can, no matter what I may think?" She asked, and I looked at her in confusion, before nodding. She sighed, before looking me in the eyes. "Am I... A bad pokemon?" She asked, and my eyes widened.

"What? Of course not! Why would you think that?!" I asked, and she looked away.

"Hear me out, will you? Mitsuki, who could have lost her son, was so easily able to trust Snow, while I couldn't. I ridiculed her when she has so obviously been trying to prove herself. Does it make me a bad pokemon if I didn't realize that sooner?" She asked, going silent a few seconds later. Stepping forward, I drew her into a hug, holding her against me.

"Like I said before, no, you are not bad. Some people have a harder time trusting people who have done something bad, but that doesn't make them bad. In fact, being cautious can be a good trait to have sometimes." I said, before sighing. "Maybe you should talk to Mitsuki. Maybe she can explain why she was able to trust Snow." I said, and she nodded, giving me a weak smile. "Now, I guess I'll start gathering some berries for breakfast, if you want, you can go back to the cave. Thank you for coming out with me to talk." I said, and she smiled.

"Anytime! Just not too late or too early!" She said, sticking her tongue out. I smiled waving to her, before beginning my hunt for berries.

 _Abby's POV_

Still sitting on the large rock, looking up at the slowly brightening sky, I couldn't help still feeling guilty for the way we have all been treating Snow. This whole time, I looked at Snow as if she was the worst thing to ever live on this earth, that the only thing running through her mind, was some way she could turn on us, yet, I couldn't have been farther from the truth. The only thing actually running through her head, was trying to prove herself to a group who wasn't even willing to give her a chance. Void may have said otherwise, but I still felt like a bad pokemon. Sighing to myself, I hopped down from the rock, walking towards the cave. Making it back, I began to hear what sounded to be a voice raised in anger. Entering the cave, I saw Kazumi glaring at Snow, while Christa tried to calm her down. "Come on, Kazumi... You're being unfair. Snow has every right to sleep wherever she wants! Looking at her, I can see that she meant no harm to us in any way." She said, and Kazumi gave her an incredulous look.

"How can you be so calm around her? She and her partner almost killed you! Are you seriously going to say that you can trust her?!" She said, and Christa sighed. Before she could say anything, I got their attention.

"What's going on here? What's with all the yelling?" I asked and Kazumi looked up at me.

"Abby! Good, there you are! We woke up a couple minutes ago, only to see this... this _bitch_ sleeping next to us as if she hadn't previously tried to attack us and take Christa away!" She said, before glaring at Snow again, causing her to flinch. "Look, you may have Mitsuki and Void convinced, but I'm not! I know you're just waiting for us to let our guard down!" She said. I looked at Snow, and seeing her look of genuine sadness, I had enough. Forming an Aura Sphere in my hand and letting it dissipate, I glared at Kazumi, much to her surprise.

"Enough! I've heard enough, and you need to knock it off! For your information, you couldn't be farther from the truth, and just so you know, _I_ was the one who _invited_ Snow to sleep next to us. She was having a hard time sleeping, and even then, she hesitated to accept my offer, as she didn't want to make any of us feel uncomfortable!" I said, and the others began to murmur amongst themselves, looking surprised. Kazumi scoffed.

"Has it ever occurred to you that she could have been lying?! That's what people do when they want to gain peoples trust!" She said, and I shook my head.

"Look at her, is that the look of someone who is plotting against us? No! That's the look of someone whose trying her best to be part of the team, but is being tortured by the way we've been treating her!" I said, and Snow looked at me in shock.

"An act! That's all it is!" She said, still staying stubborn, and I sighed, shaking my head.

"Stop. Just... Stop. In fact, take a look around. It seems as if you're the only one who still thinks that." I said, and she looked around in surprise, before her eyes fell on Rose.

"Rose? What about you? You looked pretty upset when she attacked us, do you really think she's changed that fast?" She asked, and Rose sighed.

"Look, of course I'm still upset about us being attacked, but maybe you're taking this too far. If Snow was really planning to attack again, last night would have been her best chance; While we were sleeping and in one place. If Void is willing to trust her, then I do too; After all, he seems to have lead us in the right direction so far!" She said, and Kazumi looked around in surprise, before turning around and beginning to fly away.

"Fine! But when she inevitably turns on you don't say I didn't warn you!" She said, giving an annoyed huff. Christa stayed behind for a few seconds.

"I'll go talk to her, but please don't hold it against her, she did the same thing when she found out I was hiding my identity from everyone. She has a hard time trusting, but the ones she does trust, she trys her best to keep them safe." She said, an apologetic look on her face, before flying off after the Chimecho. Once everything was quiet, and everyone went about their business, Snow turned to look at me, still staying near Mitsuki

"Thank you, Abby... For last night, as well as just now. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble." She said, and I shook my head.

"Hey, don't worry, it was no trouble. Don't let Kazumi bother you." I said, and she smiled slightly, before looking at me with a look of confusion.

"Hey, Abby? Not that I'm not grateful, but what made you change your mind about me? Didn't you used to feel the same way that Kazumi feels?" She asked, and I looked away uncomfortably, before sighing.

"If you really want to know, it's what you said last night. It really got me thinking that perhaps I was wrong about you after all." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.

"You mean about not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable? I meant what I said, but what does that have to do with anything?" She asked, and I gave her a small smile.

"You cared about how we felt more than you did your own comfort. Someone like that can't be that bad!" I said, and she smiled. "By the way, Mitsuki, I'm curious. You seemed to have trusted Snow pretty quickly. How were you able to?" I asked, and she looked down at Snow.

"Well, I guess I felt we had a lot in common. Remember, I wasn't exactly that liked after what I did to Void. I figured Snow could use someone to talk to. Also, I could see it in her eyes that she wasn't going to try anything." She said, giving her a smile. I nodded in understanding, before a sound outside the cave made me look up. Void walked in, before looking around in confusion, a concerned look on his face. Seeing him, Snow, Mitsuki, and I walked over.

"What happened here? The air feels kind of heavy, did something happen?" He asked as we stopped in front of him. I frowned, looking over at Snow.

"Nothing that hasn't been taken care of already. There was just a bit of a... One sided fight, but like I said, it's been handled." I said, and he nodded, looking relieved, before sitting down and taking off his backpack, opening up the berry pocket.

"Good, well, I collected berries to give us energy before we head off for Hearthome City, so if everyone's ready to go, come and get some!" He said, raising his voice so the others could hear him. Faced with food, everybody quickly made their way over, except for Kazumi and Christa; who stayed by the upset Chimecho's side as she slowly floated over. Void looked at Kazumi in confusion for a few seconds, before looking at us, a look of realization on his face. After everyone had gotten a couple berries and had eaten, Void stood up. "Now that you have eaten, are you all ready to head out?" He asked, and we all nodded, Mitsuki being the first one to stand.

"I know I'm definitely looking forward to going to Hearthome! Last time we were there, I was bound to a pokécenter bed, or we were stuck inside. It will be a nice change being able to actually look around!" She said, and Void smiled and nodded.

"You're not wrong, it will be nice, but remember, first we need to stop at the jewelry shop for the wedding gift, then we can have the rest of the day for fun." He said, and Mitsuki nodded. Snow just looked lost and confused.

"Hey, so what's Hearthome like? I wasn't one of the Absols who got to go." She said, and we all looked at her in surprise for a few seconds.

"You mean you've never been to Hearthome City?" I asked, and shook her head. Shaking my head in disbelief, I gave her a cryptic little smile. "Well, if I told you what to expect, it wouldn't be as fun as experiencing it yourself!" I said, and she gave a little huff of annoyance. With that said, and everything was packed up, we set out from the cave, heading towards the city. Halfway through the woods, Snow, who was walking next to Mitsuki and I, turned towards me.

"Abby? Can I ask you a question?" She asked, and I looked at her.

"Sure, I don't see why not." I said, and she took a deep breath, looking nervous, causing me to wonder what was so difficult for her to ask.

"What's so appealing about humans that make other pokemon like you love them? Shouldn't pokemon stick with pokemon, and humans to humans? I mean, I'm not trying to be rude, I was just taught that point of view, and I'm just trying to get the other point of view!" She quickly said, when she noticed the sharp look I shot her when she asked her question.

"Hey Snow, easy there. You may want to use a little tact..." Mitsuki said, looking between me and her with a nervous look on her face. After a few seconds of silence, I sighed, shaking my head.

"No, she's ok, Mitsuki. At least she's willing to hear someone else's views and opinions on a subject she doesn't really like." I said, before looking at Snow. "I can't really answer for everyone, but as for why I love Void, he's just so kind to me, and I most likely wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for him." I said, before seeing the looks of surprise and confusion in their eyes. "I got bit by a Seviper when I was a Riolu. I managed to get away and crawl under a bush, but I was already badly poisoned. If Void hadn't have been in that area when he was, I probably would have succumbed to the poison and died." I said, and they looked at Void in surprise. Unaware of the conversation going on between us, he continued on walking at the front of the group. "Anyways, about pokemon sticking with pokemon and vice versa, I personally don't agree with that. If you love someone, it shouldn't matter if they're pokemon or human, or if they are the same gender, as long as you love each other, that should be all that matters." I said, and Snow looked thoughtful, before nodding in understanding.

"Thank you, Abby. Like I said before, I was trained all my life to hate the kind of relationship you and Void have, but now that I am no longer a part of Team Lotus, I want to come across my own opinion. In order to do that though, I would need reasoning from both sides of the argument." She said, and I nodded, giving her a small smile.

"I'm happy I was able to help. So now that you have heard my reasonings for it, and you have the reasons against it, are you able to start coming up with your own reasonings?" I asked, and she again looked thoughtful, before shaking her head.

"I-I'm afraid not. While it definitely helped, I am still going to need way more." She said, and I gave her an understanding look.

"Well, we're going to be traveling around Sinnoh for quite awhile, so you can definitely get a lot of opinions as we travel!" I said, and she nodded and smiled. Eventually, after walking for awhile, the Hearthome City skyline began to come into view, and the guard station was just up ahead.

"So, Hearthome is through here?" Snow asked as we stepped inside, and I nodded.

"Yep. As soon as we step through that door, we will officially be in the city. Since this is going to be your first time being here, all I'm going to say is, prepare to be amazed!" I said, grinning as Void waved to the guard sitting behind a desk, before walking out the other door. Following behind him, we all made our way intro the city, blinking as the sunlight shone in our eyes. When Snow's eyes adjusted, she slowly opened her eyes, looking around in amazement.

"Woah..." She said under her breath, her eyes wide as she took in the sights. People walked down the sidewalks, going to wherever it is they had to go, while cars bustled down the streets. Honking horns and voices filling the air.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it? That's the same reaction I had when I first saw it, it's a lot to take in at once." I said, and she slowly nodded, peeling her eyes away from the surroundings and looking at me.

"I-I'll say. This place is huge! I have to admit, humans are pretty impressive if they can make places like this!" She said, and I agreed, but before I could say anything else, Void spoke up.

"Alright everyone, Hearthome is pretty big, and it's easy to get separated, so make sure you all stick close, ok?" He asked, and everyone murmured an affirmative. Turning towards Snow, I caught her attention.

"Hey, I'm going to go over to Void now, ok?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Oh, ok. Thanks again for giving me a chance, and for answering my questions, I really appreciate it." She said, giving me a smile. I nodded and smiled back.

"No problem, I'm just sorry for the way we've all been treating you lately. At least Mitsuki knew the truth." I said, giving one last wave, before making my way to the front, tapping Void on the shoulder as I reached his side. He turned to me in confusion, before smiling when he saw me.

"Hey, Abby, how are you doing?" He asked, and I grabbed onto his hand, the only way I could openly show my affection to him. To anyone walking by us, it appeared that I was just an affectionate pokemon. Void looked down to where our hands were connected, before smiling.

"I'm doing good, what about you?" I asked, and he nodded. "So, are we going straight to the jewelry store?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No. The first thing we need to do is stop by the pokécenter and get set up with some rooms; We are going to be in the city overnight, after all." He said, and I nodded. As we began to head towards the pokécenter, the red roof coming into view, I began to feel eyes on us. Confused, I looked around. When I looked to the right, I flinched as I was struck by a sudden burst of negative aura. As I started to tense, I felt Void's grip on my hand tighten. Looking at him, he shook his head, but the look in his eyes told me he had sensed it as well. "H-hey Christa, can you come over here real quick?" He called quietly, and she nodded, stepping away from Kazumi and the others.

"Yes, Void? What is it?" She asked, before noticing the look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked, her voice going quiet so the others wouldn't hear.

"Stay close, and don't make any sudden moves... We're being watched." He said, and Christa stiffened, her eyes going wide as she discretely looked around. "Listen, I think we're safe for right now. Whoever it is, I don't think they mean well, but it's too crowded for them to try anything. Let's get to the pokécenter, we can figure out what to do next." He said, and she nodded, sticking close to Void. Picking up the pace, we all hurried to the pokécenter, the sensation of eyes followed us the whole way. As we entered, the door chimed, and a voice called out from the back.

"Hold on, I'll be right there!" Nurse Joy called, before walking through the door behind the desk. "Welcome to the pokécenter, how can I-" She began, before getting a good look at Void. "Void? Hey, how have you been?" She asked, and he smiled.

"Hey, Nurse Joy! I'm doing good, we've managed to get the Coal Badge!" He said, but before anything else could be said, Christa jabbed him in the shoulder, gesturing towards the door and Void nodded, quickly turning back to Nurse Joy. "Right. Can we get two rooms please?" He asked, and the nurse nodded.

"Sure, hold on for just a second!" She said with a smile, before turning around and grabbing two keys, handing them two him.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." He said, before turning to Mitsuki. "Hey, Mitsuki? Can you do me a favor? Can you take everyone to the room while Abby, Christa and I talk?" He asked, handing the key to her.

"Sure, but what's wrong? We seemed to be in an awful hurry to get here." She said, and Void hesitated for a few seconds, before smiling.

"Nothing's wrong, we just need to discuss today's plans. As for why we were in a hurry, I guess I was just excited to be back in Hearthome?" He said, and she just looked at him, unconvinced. Nonetheless, she took the key and sighed, before leading the others to the room. Watching them go, I sighed, shaking my head.

"Arceus! You know you're a horrible liar, right? Anyways, are they still out there? What are we going to do?" I asked, and Void sighed, straightening up and walking towards the window, looking out.

"Right... There's so many people walking around, I can't tell who they are. I can't see them, but I do sense them somewhere around here." He said, and Nurse Joy frowned.

"Who? What's going on now?" She asked, and Void sighed, taking one last look outside, before turning around, looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry... We always seem to cause trouble. As you know, Team Lotus has been after us. On the way here, we were being watched, and I think it may be them." He said, and Joy's eyes widened.

"Why are they always after you? What are they after?" She asked, looking concerned. Void sat down, sighing.

"Who, not what..." He said, and she only looked more confused. "They're after someone who's been traveling with us; Someone who I will protect at all costs." He said, and Christa frowned slightly.

"Alright, then _who_? Who is so important that Team Lotus would follow like this?" Joy asked, and Void stayed quiet. After a few seconds, Christa sighed.

"Me... They're after me." She said, and he looked at her in surprise. She smiled. "It's ok, Void. I trust her, she seems ok." She said, and he nodded, before pulling out his pokédex, tapping the screen and handing it to Nurse Joy. She looked at the screen, before her eyes widened.

"B-but this is..." She said, and Void nodded, taking the pokédex back from the stunned nurse, sticking it back in his pocket.

"Do you understand now? She's a part of their plans somehow. It could be really bad if they get a hold of her." He said, and Nurse Joy nodded.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked, and he looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before sighing, turning and looking at Christa.

"Christa, I want you to go back to the others and make sure they don't start to worry, but try to stay in your human form." He said, and she nodded, turning and walking towards the stairs. Next, he turned to Nurse Joy. "Can I ask you a favor, Nurse Joy? I still need to go out there and get something from town. Can you make sure the others stay safe?" He asked, and she nodded, though she looked confused.

"Wait! We're literally being stalked, and you're worried about the wedding gift?! I would think Liam would understand if you couldn't get it!" I said, looking at him incredulously, but he shook his head, his eyes full of determination.

"No! Liam is a friend, and he's getting married tomorrow. I'll be damned if I let anyone control what I do!" He said, looking me in the eyes. I looked at him for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Fine, I understand. Are we going now, then?" I asked, and he hesitated, before shaking his head, confusing me.

"...I am, but I want you to stay here with Nurse Joy." He said, and my eyes widened. Staring at him in disbelief, I shook my head.

"Are you insane?!" I asked, and he looked at me in shock. "You must be if you think I'm actually going to stay here and let you run into danger without me!" I said, and he sighed.

"I'm not insane, I'm actually thinking ahead." He said, and I looked at him in confusion. "If you come with me, they'll have the advantage. Think about it, isn't it weird that we sensed them, but didn't see them? In fact, I'd hazard a guess that we looked right at them! The police already know about them, so they won't be parading around the city in their uniform. Face it, if they did, we'd spot them immediately." He said, and I nodded slowly in understanding.

"If I went with you, they'd be free to walk right in here, and nobody would recognize who they were..." I said, and he nodded.

"Exactly! Do you understand now why I want you to stay here?" He asked, and I sighed. He was right, and his idea was smart.

"I do... But that doesn't mean I like it! You'll be going into danger alone! I get it, just make sure you come back safely, I'd never forgive myself if I let something happen to you!" I said, and he smiled and nodded, wrapping me in a hug.

"Of course. Remember who my father is, and remember what I am. I'll be fine, I'm perfectly able to protect myself." He said, and I held him tight. After a few seconds, he pulled away. "Well, I guess I should get going now." He said, heading towards the door. Taking one last look back at me, he gave me a smile, before walking out the door.

"Good luck..." I said quietly, letting out a sigh.

 _Void's POV_

Looking around, I quickly left the pokécenter, making my way to the jewelry shop. Looking back at the pokécenter, I couldn't help but feel bad for lying to Abby. While it's true I wanted her to protect the others, that's not the only reason I wanted her to stay behind. If Team Lotus got a hold of her, they could use her as leverage to get Christa, and the worrisome thing is, judging how much I care about Abby, it could work. Shaking my head and focusing on the task ahead, I activated my Aura Sight. Strangely, the negative aura was gone, and so was the feeling of being watched. Frowning, I continued on, making my way down side roads and back streets. Eventually, the neon sign signalling the entrance to the jewelry store came into sight. Walking through the door, a bell went off, signalling my entrance.

"Ah, welcome to-" The man behind the desk began to say, before seeing me. "Oh! Hey, Void!" He said, and I relaxed slightly now that I was inside.

"Hey, Mr. Rockwell, how have you been?" I asked, and he smiled.

"Oh, I've been doing ok. I've made a pretty big sale recently, but what about you? How has Chimecho been doing?" He asked, and I leaned against the counter.

"Well, I'm glad that you're doing well, I on the other hand, have had a stressful few days. Oh, and Kazumi's doing well." I said, and he nodded.

"So, her name's Kazumi now, huh? That sounds like a good name... Anyways, what can I do for you?" He asked, and I smiled, taking out my pokédex and bringing up the website, tapping the picture of the locket I had my eyes on.

"A friend's having a wedding tomorrow, and I thought this would make a good gift. Do you still have it in stock?" I asked, and he scratched his chin, looking thoughtful for a few seconds, before nodding.

"I sure do, hold on!" He said, before leaning down and looking under the counter. "So, did you ever give that necklace to your girlfriend?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Yes I did, though she may have taken it the wrong way at first. Apparently, giving your girlfriend anything diamond is like proposing." I said, and he chuckled. "After explaining that it was just a gift, she seemed to like it." I said.

"Good, good. I'm happy she liked it. Well, here you go, here's the lockets." He said, and I paused, shaking my head.

"Oh... I was only planning on getting one." I said, and he looked at me in confusion, pointing to the pokédex screen, causing me to look.

"They come in pairs; One for each person. Don't worry, they still cost the price that's on the website, nothing extra." He said, and I nodded.

"Oh, ok, I guess that makes sense. I was under the impression that they were sold separately." I said, handing him the eight hundred pokédollars that I owed him.

"Here you go. Would you like them wrapped?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Sure, if that's ok, that would definitely be a help!" I said, and he smiled, grabbing some white wrapping paper and carefully wrapping the box, before taping it up and handing it to me. Thanking him, I began to head for the door, before being called back.

"Hey, be careful, ok? There's been some strange people in the city lately, just loitering around, as if looking for something." He said, and I froze, before nodding and thanking him for the warning, then walking out the door. Deciding to try and get back to the pokécenter as quick as I could, I took the main streets. Thinking to myself, I walked down the streets. The sound of footsteps behind me snapped me out of my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I began walking faster, only for the footsteps to get faster as well. Clenching my fist, I began to gather energy in my fist. When the footsteps were close enough, I swung around, only to stop when I saw who it was.

"Mom, dad? What are you doing here?" I asked, giving mom a hug, surprising her. Mom smiled, though she looked confused.

"Hey, Void. We were invited to Liam's wedding. We saw you, and thought we would say hello. What's wrong though? Why do you seem so jumpy?" She asked, while I gave dad a hug as well. I sighed, pulling away.

"Look, if you follow me to the pokécenter, I'll explain when we get there, but first... Dad, my Aura Sense is ok, but I'm sure yours is better. Do you sense any dark aura anywhere around here?" I asked, and he frowned, before closing his eyes and activating it. After a few seconds, he shook his head.

"No, not that I can see. Why, what's going on?" He asked, looking at me in concern. I sighed, shaking my head.

"All I can say right now is, we may have gotten caught up in something a lot bigger than a simple journey around sinnoh, taking on the gyms." I said, and they shared a grim look, before falling in behind me as I headed for the pokécenter. Eventually, after walking for five, very tense minutes, the iconic red roof of the pokécenter was right up ahead. Walking through the door, I was immediately tackled to the ground by Abby, who quickly pressed her lips against mine.

"Void! I was so worried! I knew you would be fine, but I still couldn't help but worry!" She said, hugging me tightly.

"Ahem, uh, Abby..." I said, clearing my throat and gesturing towards the door. She looked confused for a few seconds, before looking up at the door, her face going red when she saw my parents standing there, an uncomfortable look on their faces.

"O-oh, uh... h-hello. Sorry about that..." She said, helping me to my feet, looking awkward. "S-so... Did you get the wedding gift for Liam?" She asked, and I nodded, brushing myself off.

"I sure did." I said, holding the box up, still blushing slightly. "So, did anything happen while I was away?" I asked, and she suddenly became a bit more serious, and she nodded.

"Besides the same person walking by two or three times, Snow and Mitsuki came down looking for you. Snow freaked out a bit when she saw the person, so I definitely think we're dealing with Team Lotus." She said, and dad took a step forward.

"Team Lotus? Ok, what's going on here? We made it to the pokécenter, are you going to tell us now?" He asked, and I sighed, nodding my head.

"Yes, follow me." I said, before turning to Abby. "Abby, can you please go get Christa, Mitsuki and Snow and bring them to room number five?" I asked, and she nodded, quickly running off, leaving me to lead my parents to the room. Opening the door, we all sat on the bed. Waiting in silence for a few minutes, a knock on the door signaled the arrival of Snow, Abby, Mitsuki, and Christa. Upon entering the room, Christa looked at me.

"You wanted me?" She asked, before noticing my mom and dad. I sighed and nodded.

"Yes, I let my parents know how we may have gotten caught up in something bigger than our original plans to just travel." I said, and she frowned slightly. "I didn't tell them anything other then that. In fact, I was hoping that you might be able to explain it." I said, and she sighed.

"Right... S-sure. Hello, Void's parents. As you know, I'm Christa, though, I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you about who I am, or why I'm traveling around with your son." She said, and my mom frowned, sitting up straight.

"What do you mean? If that's the case, who are you?" She asked, sitting a bit closer to me. Christa sighed, clearing her throat.

"Void, if you would, could you please take out your pokédex and show them the permit? I feel it may make things easier to explain." She said, and I nodded, tapping the screen and handing it to my parents. They looked at it for a few seconds, before looking at us in confusion.

"I-I don't understand... What does this have to do with you? Do you have a Legendary Pokemon with you or something?" Mom asked, and Christa took a deep breath, before holding out her hand and shaking theirs.

"In a way... Hello, I'm Mew, but you can call me Christa." She said, giggling slightly when she saw their looks of shock. Standing up, she walked over to the window and closed the blinds. Closing her eyes, she dropped her illusions, once again reverting back to her original form, much to the awe of my parents.

"L-Lady Mew, it really is you!" Dad said, immediately standing up and bowing. Christa scratched the back of her neck, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"N-no... Please, just call me Christa." She said, and he shakily nodded, still looking awestruck.

"O-of course, L- I mean Christa, but why are you traveling with Void? He didn't capture you, did he?" He asked, giving me warning look. Christa shook her head, smiling a little.

"No, Void's actually been very understanding about pokemon, and giving them the choice to join him. In fact, that's one of the reasons why Lady Arceus took a liking to him." She said, and mom looked shocked.

"Wait... Arceus? You mean Arceus is real?" She asked, and Christa patiently waited for a few seconds, before continuing on.

"Yes, of course she's real. You wouldn't be around if she wasn't, but please, one question at a time. Anyways, Lady Arceus was impressed by Void's treatment of pokemon, and how he's willing to put his trust in us immediately. She sent me to protect him, since not everyone shares his ideals." She said, before sighing, a frown forming on her face. "Unfortunately, our roles were recently switched, and Void's had to protect me..." She said, and I nodded, before clearing my throat, causing everyone to look at me.

"I can cover the rest." I said, and she nodded, floating over and sitting on my shoulder. "As you most likely know, a group of people calling themselves Team Lotus have been showing up lately. This anti pokephilia group has been on the hunt for Christa." I said, and my parents looked confused.

"Why? Why would they go after her like this?" My mom asked, and I shook my head.

"All we know is that they are trying to make a new world or something; One free of interspecies relationships, and in order to do that, they need Christa for some reason. Whatever their reasons, I vowed to keep her safe." I said, and she nodded.

"Does this have to do with why you seemed so jumpy earlier? This... Team Lotus?" My father asked, and I nodded, a frown on my face.

"Yes. We arrived here earlier this morning. As soon as we stepped into the city, I immediately felt as if we were being watched. Not only that, but there was a hostile aura that Abby and I sensed." I said, and dad looked thoughtful.

"And you think it was them?" He asked, and I nodded.

"There's no doubt about it. This aura was dark, it felt... sinister." I said, shivering slightly. "The only thing I don't understand is, how did they know where we were? We ran into them on the way to Oreburgh City; Hearthome isn't the only place near there." I said, and Snow sighed.

"I might know..." She said quietly, and all eyes turned to her. My parents looked confused for a few seconds, as if they had just now noticed her, and I realized that I hadn't introduced them.

"Oh, Snow, these are my parents. Mom, dad, this is Snow, the newest member of the team." I said, explaining how she had come to be on the team, and how I had officially adopted her.

"That's great and all, I've always taught you that everyone deserves a chance, but are you sure this is safe? She was part of the group who are chasing you. Do you really think that was a good idea?" Mom asked, and dad agreed, looking skeptically at Snow. I nodded, standing up and placing a hand on the Absol's back.

"Of course I do, I have no doubts about her. She grew up in Team Lotus, but now that she has another chance, I feel I trust her." I said, before turning to look down at her. "So, sorry to interrupt you, what were you saying?" I asked, and she hesitated for a few seconds, before sighing when Mitsuki gave her a reassuring look.

"I said, I may know how they knew where you were." She said, and I looked at her in confusion. "Last night, while I was having trouble sleeping, Mitsuki took me for a walk. While we were out, Mitsuki found what we think was a tracker that was placed on my ear, but she destroyed it." She said, and I nodded slowly, looking thoughtful.

"And when were you planning on telling us all this, huh?" Abby snapped, a hint of her mistrust flashing in her eyes. Snow flinched at her tone, before looking away.

"I-I wasn't..." She said, almost inaudibly. Abby opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Mitsuki stepped between them.

"Ease off of her, Abby! I was the one that suggested that we didn't say anything, so blame me. I didn't think it would be a problem since I broke the thing, so why bring it up and cause more panic and mistrust?" She asked, and Abby sighed.

"Even so, at least we would have been prepared!" She said, before I stepped in.

"Wait, now that I think about it, this could actually be good news in a way." I said, and everyone looked at me in confusion, including my parents.

"How could being chased by a bunch of crooks be good news?!" Abby asked, looking at me incredulously, and I shook my head.

"Not the being chased part. If the reason they're here is because of the broken tracker, I doubt they'd attack us. After all, if they did, they'd risk losing track of us." I said, and she nodded.

"I get it... So you think they're only here to watch us. But still, we shouldn't let our gaurd down." She said, and I agreed.

"Hey, Void? If you only wanted me to explain what was going on, is it ok if I go back to the other room now? Kazumi was starting to get suspicious when you called for us, and you know how she gets." Christa said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. I smiled and nodded, and she floated towards the door and turned back to her human form, before looking back at my parents. "It was nice meeting you for real this time. You did a good job on raising Void by the way; He truly has been kind to us all!" She said, before walking out of the room, leaving me, my parents, Abby, Snow, and Mitsuki alone. After a few seconds, my mom sighed.

"Listen, Void, we should talk to Nurse Joy about getting a room for the night, but later, I think we really need to have a talk about all that's been happening." She said, and I hesitated for a few seconds, before nodding, watching as she guided dad out of the room, still stunned. After they left, I turned to Snow.

"So... They were tracking you?" I asked, and she looked away. A few seconds later, she nodded dejectedly.

"I'm sorry... I honestly don't know when or how they put it on me. Last night, Mitsuki was able to break it, so I didn't think it would cause any more trouble, but I guess I was wrong." She said, and I sighed.

"It's ok, but next time something like that happens, let me know. Something worse could have happened." I said, looking between her and Mitsuki, and they nodded. "Now, you should be getting back." I said, and they nodded again, before leaving. Finally able to relax, Abby flopped down on the bed, laying on her back.

"So... What do we do now? I know you said you don't think they will attack us, but I still don't feel comfortable going outside. The idea of being watched all the time gives me the creeps!" She said, shuddering. I agreed, jumping onto the bed next to her and making her bounce, causing her to giggle.

"I can see your point, I guess we'll just rest for right now." I said, placing my hands behind my head and closing my eyes. Sensing a change in her aura, I cracked open an eye, only to see her grinning at me. Opening my other eye, I raised an eyebrow. "What's with that look?" I asked, and she rolled over closer to me, placing her hand on my chest.

"Oh... Nothing really~" She said, looking me in the eyes. "Just realized how quiet it is... And how we're all alone~" She said, licking her lips and looking at me suggestively. I blanched, looking at her in disbelief.

"Are you seriously thinking about sex in a time like this?! When we're being stalked by Team Lotus?!" I asked, and she gave me a pitiful look.

"I can't help it!" She said, giving a little whine. "Something about the sense of danger gets me kind of hot and bothered. And anyways, you said we're safe, so why can't we enjoy ourselves?" She asked, and I sighed, shaking my head.

"I swear, sometimes you can be really weird!" I said, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, you know you love me!" She said, sticking out her tongue and grinning goofily back at me. "So, how about it? Are you up for a proverbial roll in the hay?" She asked, and I smiled.

"You know I do! As for what you're asking... I guess if that's really what you want, than I can't really say no, can I?" I asked, and she playfully shook her head.

"Nope! Now get your clothes off, we can't really begin until they come off!" She said, and I nodded, taking off my shirt, before beginning to remove my pants, I hesitated, an idea coming to mind. Abby however, was getting impatient. "Come onnn! I need you..." She whined, gripping the sides of my pants, trying to pull them down, but I shook my head, scooting backwards, much to her confusion.

"Wait, I have an idea! How would you like to try something new?" I asked, and she paused. Though she looked frustrated, I could see that I had caught her attention.

"Something... New?" She asked, looking confused, and I nodded, gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Exactly! Have you ever thought about trying it in the shower?" I asked, and she smiled, shaking her head, her eyes full of interest.

"I can't say I have, but now I am! If you don't mind the smell of wet fur, maybe we could try it." She said, running a hand slowly down my chest, causing me to shiver. Lightly grabbing onto her hand, I pulled her against me, leading her to the bathroom, and to the shower. Stopping in front of it, she looked at me, looking confused. "So, you want me to just get in?" She asked, and I nodded, smiling at her as she hopped in. I turned on the water, and she flinched, before relaxing when the water heated up. "Ok, so now what?" She asked, and I began to take off my pants and boxers, before getting into the shower next to her.

"Now? Now we get you prepared!" I said, immediately dropping down onto my knees and grinning up at her. She looked at me in confusion, but that quickly changed to shock, as before she could say anything, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her towards me, causing her knees to almost buckle as I dug my tongue between her legs. She gasped and moaned, pressing my face against her.

"Oh! D-don't stop!" She moaned, and I smiled. Moving up higher, I wrapped my lips around her clit, flicking it with my tongue. Nearly screetching from the pleasure, Abby quickly covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a muffled moan. Groaning, she leaned against the wall, before slowly sliding down until she was laying on the floor. Spreading her legs apart, I dug back into her slit, my tongue reaching deeper now that she was on her back. At one point, I must have struck her g spot, because her eyes shot open, and she suddenly wrapped her hands around my head, pushing me against her, her tongue hanging out, and her eyes tightly closed in pleasure. Listening to her moan and pant, I focused on the rough spot that was her g spot; Rubbing and prodding at it. Eventually, she started to twitch, and her walls began to rhythmically squeeze my tongue. Looking up at her, I could tell that she was close. Reaching up with my hand, I began to rub her clit, sending her over the edge. Locking her legs around my head, I closed my eyes just in time, right as she came, covering my face. When she finally relaxed, I pulled away and gave her a smile, licking my lips and sitting up.

"So, how did I do? It sure looks like it felt good!" I said, and she slowly opened her eyes, before pouncing on me and locking her lips against me, pulling me into a hug.

"That was amazing! I might have to get you to do that more often..." She said, trailing off and looking down, before looking back up at me, a grin on her face. "Well, I was going to return the favor to get you ready, however, it looks like that won't be necessary; You're already as ready as you're able to get!" She said, wrapping her hand around my dick, causing me to blush.

"H-hey, I can't help it! Hearing you moaning like that, it was impossible not to get this way!" I said, my face red, and she grinned even more.

"Oh? Is that so... Well, if you liked my moaning this much, how about we get right to the main event? I'm sure there will be a lot more from the both of us!" She said, getting up and turning around, leaning against the wall, presenting herself to me. I couldn't help but smile, getting up as well.

"I guess if that's what you want, who am I to say no!" I said, lining myself up, before getting ready to push in, when she pulled away at the last second.

"Wait!" She said, and I paused, raising an eyebrow. "T-the other hole!" She said, and I looked at her in surprise.

"What? Is your heat here?" I asked, but she shook her head, blushing and looking away, much to my confusion.

"No, my heat won't be here for at least another few weeks. I just... I wanted to try doing it like the first time; When we were in my pokéball." She said, and I nodded, understanding.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. It will most likely be painful, I don't exactly have any lube..." I said, looking away. She frowned, looking thoughtful.

"I mean, we already did it before, so it can't be that painful... Can't you just do it slow?" She asked, and I looked nervous.

"Last time, you were under the influence of your heat, so you just powered through it, but not this time. I don't want to hurt you!" I said, and she sighed, turning back towards me. "I'm sorry if I ruined the mood." I said, and she shook her head.

"No, you don't need to apologize for caring about me, and you didn't ruin the mood. In fact..." She said, gently pushing me down until I was laying flat on my back. "Why don't I just return the favor?" She said, opening her mouth and slowly licking me from base to tip, giving me a sultry look. Without waiting for an answer, she wrapped her lips around my dick, causing me to moan. Taking this as a good sign, she began to descend, taking me halfway, before pulling back up. Repeating this, she continued sucking me off. Getting lost in the pleasure, I closed my eyes and lightly placed my hand on the back of her head. Hearing her let out a him of surprise, my eyes snapped open, and I quickly removed my hand.

"S-sorry!" I said, and she froze for a few seconds, before smiling around my dick.

" _Don't be. If you want me to go faster or deeper, feel free to let me know!_ " A voice from seemingly nowhere said, making me jump, before remembering her telepathy. " _After all, wasn't that exactly what I did?_ " She asked, giving my member a stronger suck, causing me to groan. Hesitating for a few seconds, I slowly returned my hand to behind her head, and she went back to bobbing. Within a few minutes, I was once again lost in the pleasure, pressing her down to help set the pace, and she happily went along with it, the room being filled with the sound of slurping and moaning. Eventually, that tightness formed in my lower stomach, warning of my impending orgasm. Opening my eyes, I managed to gather enough control to warn her.

"A-Abby! I-I'm not going to last much longer!" I gasped, loosening my grip on the back of her head, letting my hand rest on her shoulder. Smiling at me, she bobbed her head for a few more seconds, before taking a deep breath through her nose. Giving me a wink, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me and pulled me against her, allowing her to take me all the way into her throat. Seeing her take me into her throat, and feeling her swallowing around me, I couldn't hold on any longer. Letting out a moan, I tensed up, finally going over the edge. Abby clenched her eyes shut and kept swallowing, gulping down my cum before any could spill, wrapping her tongue around my shaft, making sure she got everything. When I finally stopped cumming, and my body relaxed, she slowly began to pull away, releasing me and shakily sitting up, burping quietly, before taking a deep breath.

"T-there, I hope you enjoyed that..." She said, giving me a tired look, panting slightly. I smiled, sitting up and pulling her against me, pressing my lips against hers, tasting a bit of myself on her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise, before she began to relax, her eyes closing.

"I did enjoy that. Thank you!" I said, before sighing. "Listen, I just want to apologize again for not doing what you wanted. I know you said I didn't have to, and that the only reason I said no was so you didn't get hurt, but I still feel bad about it." I said, and she looked me in the eyes, before smiling and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll tell you what, how about to make up for that and my _awesome_ blowjob skills, you get some lube for next time!" She said, playfully sticking out her tongue, and I smiled.

"Sure, it's a deal! Now, let's get cleaned up!" I said, grabbing some shampoo.

 **And chapter 24 has been completed! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving (if you celibrate it). Sorry it took so long to put this chapter out, as you all know, Pokemon Sun and Moon just came out, and I pre-ordered Moon. To make up for the wait, this chapter is longer then they normally are. Also, it has a lemon in it, for those who have been waiting for one :P Also, I plan on making the next chapter a FAQ chapter, so if you have any questions, please ask them and I will answer them in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **~spudbud16**


	28. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 **I was planning to answer some questions this chapter, but since nobody seemed to have any, I will be continuing the story as usual. If anyone does have any questions, feel free to ask them, and I will answer them. Now, on to the story!**

 _Void's POV_

Turning off the water when we finished washing up, I stepped out of the shower and grabbed two towels that were laying folded on a shelf. Handing one to Abby, she took it and smiled. Drying myself off, I looked back at her, only to see her looking in the mirror, pouting. "I just can't win, can I?!" She asked in exasperation, and I raised an eyebrow questioningly, and she sighed. "When I use a hairdryer, my fur puffs up, and when I use a towel, it just sticks up all over the place! Sometimes, I really hate having fur; It can be so unruly!" She said, huffing in disdain. Smiling and getting dressed, I opened the door and walked over to the bed, gesturing for her to follow me.

"Come on, I'll brush your fur for you if you want." I said, patting the mattress. She looked at me for a few seconds, before walking over and sitting next to me.

"Would you? Thank you." She said, leaning against me as I reached over and got the brush I kept in my bag. I smiled, beginning to move the bristles through her fur, straightening it out. As I brushed her back, she sighed, closing her eyes and letting out a small yawn.

"Tired?" I asked, and she opened her eyes, nodding.

"Yeah, today was... Stressful. I may lay down after this; It's getting late, after all." She said, and I looked at the clock, surprised to see that it was already five o'clock in the afternoon.

"Huh... I didn't realize it was so late already. I might join you, but first, I have to talk to my parents; They wanted to talk earlier." I said, and she nodded, laying down when I was finished.

"Ok, I'll keep the bed warm for you!" She said, as I placed the brush back in my bag and stood up. Smiling, I pulled the blanket over her, before walking to the door. Opening the door, a small box in front of the door caught my attention. Picking it up and opening it, my eyes widening when I saw what was inside. Inside the box was a note, and a small bottle of lube. Blushing, I read the note.

 _Hey Void,_

 _I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the walls aren't very thick. Anyways, I overhead that you might need some lube. It just so happens, I had extra._

 _-Nurse Joy_

"What's that?" Abby asked, looking at me from the bed. When I looked back at her, my face still red, she looked at me in confusion. "Why do you look so embarrassed?" She asked, and I sighed. Gulping, I walked over to her handing her the note. Reading it, her face turned slightly red. "W-well, that was... Nice of her. Make sure to thank her for me, would you?" She asked, and I nodded.

"S-sure... I'll be back soon." I said, before setting the note and the lube on the nightstand, before walking back to the door and leaving the room. Walking down the hallway and stairs, I made my way into the lobby. Seeing Nurse Joy, I awkwardly went over to her. "H-hey Nurse Joy, have you seen my parents?" I asked, avoiding her eyes. She nodded, pointing me towards the dining area, before grinning.

"So... I take it you got the-" She began, but I cut her off, closing my eyes in embarrassment.

"Y-yes! We got it... A-Abby says thank you, by the way. I-I'm going to go see what my parents wanted from me earlier!" I said, quickly walking away before she could mention anything else. She just smiled, shaking her head. Entering the dining area, I saw my parents sitting at a table. When my mom looked up and saw me, she smiled and waved me over. Looking at her, I could tell something was on her mind. "Hey, mom, dad. You said you wanted to talk to me?" I asked, and they looked at each other, before sighing.

"How has your journey been so far? You know, besides all this Team Lotus stuff?" My dad asked, and I smiled, sighing in relief.

"Is that what this was about? For a second, you had me worried. Anyway, It's been good, all things considered. Hearthome City's gym was closed, so we had to go to Oreburgh City, but we won our first badge! I had Abby use an Aura Sphere on the ground to kick up the dirt. Then, she used her Aura Sense to track their positions!" I said, before realizing something was bothering them. "...But that's not really what you wanted to talk about, is it?" I asked, taking a deep breath. Mom shook her head, laying her hand on mine.

"Honey, after the wedding tomorrow, we want you to come back home. The others can come to if they want, but we want you to come home." She said, and my eyes widened.

"What, Why?!" I asked, looking at them in disbelief, and she sighed, giving my hand a comforting squeeze.

"Void, I think you know why. Every time we see you, you've gotten in some kind of trouble. This time, you're being chased. Your mother and I think it would be best if you just came home until things calm down." He said, keeping his voice low and calm.

"No... You know what? I'm sorry, but no! Traveling around and going on a journey has always been a dream of mine. There's no way I'm going to quit just because people are causing trouble! I have Abby and my friends to keep me safe anyways. Also, I'm not as powerless as I may seem." I said, creating a small Aura Sphere, before letting it fade. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." I said, and they nodded, though they didn't look any less worried. A few seconds later, mom sighed.

"So, you won your first badge?" She asked, and I smiled, showing her the badge and once again launching into how I got it. After talking to my parents for a little longer, I pulled out my pokédex and looked at the time. Putting it away, I stood up.

"Well, I should be getting back to our room. Tomorrow is a big day, and I should get some sleep." I said, and they nodded in understanding, getting up as well.

"Sure, it's getting late. We should get to bed as well." My dad said, and we began to head for our rooms. Separating from my parents, I went into the room. Closing the door, I turned towards the bed, noticing Abby was sleeping. Smiling, I carefully got into bed next to her, pulling the covers over us. Mumbling in her sleep, she rolled over slightly, wrapping her arms around me. Pulling her closer, I snuggled into her, I closed my eyes, letting myself drift off to sleep in her warm embrace. When I next opened my eyes, Abby was lying next to me, seemingly watching me as I slept. When she saw that I was awake, she smiled.

"Good morning, Void!" She said, and I smiled back, looking at the clock on the bedside table.

"Good morning! How long have you been awake?" I asked, and for some reason, she blushed slightly, looking away from me.

"For about thirty minutes now. I would have woken you up when I did, but I noticed how peaceful you looked while you slept, and I couldn't help but just watch." She said, looking embarrassed.

"Wow. You watched me sleep? That's kind of creepy..." I said, playfully scooting away from her. She rolled her eyes and playfully tackled me before I could get too far. Looking down at me, she leaned down and laid a kiss on my lips. Staring into her eyes, I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her. A few seconds later, she pulled away, and I smiled at her. "Well, now that we're both awake, how about we get some breakfast?" I asked, and her stomach let out a growl. Blushing, she nodded.

"That... That sounds like a good idea." She said, and I smiled, before sitting up and making myself presentable. Once I had gotten dressed and brushed my hair, we headed down to the dining room. Walking in, we made our way over to the food covered table. Grabbing some Grumpig bacon and some Oran Berry pancakes, I sat at an empy table. A few seconds later, Abby joined me with a stack of pancakes of her own. "So, what are the plans for today? Are we still going to the wedding?" She asked taking a bite, before drowning them in syrup. I nodded, looking at her in confusion.

"We sure are. Why wouldn't we be going?" I asked, and she looked out a nearby window with a slight shrug and a frown.

"I don't know, I just assumed that with Team Lotus starting to follow us around, a lot of our plans would have to change." She said, and I sighed, shaking my head.

"No. We may have to be more careful now, but like I told my parents, I won't change anything just because people want to cause problems." I said, and Abby looked at me in confusion.

"What do you mean? What did you and your parents talk about yesterday?" She asked, and I once again sighed, taking a bite of the bacon.

"My parents wanted me to come back home with them after the wedding; They're worried about how dangerous traveling is going to be with Team Lotus around." I said, taking another bite of my bacon.

"Well, they're not wrong, but saying that, you're not going back home, are you?" A voice from the doorway asked, and I turned, only to see Christa walking into the dining room and grabbing a plate of food while in her human form.

"Good morning. No, I'm not going home yet; Not until the end of my journey." I said, and she smiled, before sitting down across from us with a plate of bacon. Abby and I looked at her in surprise as she took a bite.

"Good. I'm glad you're continuing on." She said with a small smile, before noticing the way we were looking at her. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, and Abby nervously pointed at Christa's plate.

"S-sorry, but a-are you sure you should be eating that?" She asked, and Christa looked down at her plate in confusion.

"W-why shouldn't I? I mean, I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, it tastes good! I had some yesterday, when we got here." She said, and Abby winced.

"T-that's called bacon... It's made from Grumpigs." I said, and Christa froze, dropping the piece that was in her hand. Her face turning pale, she bolted up from the table and ran over to the trashcan, gagging slightly. Following her, Abby stood over her and patted her on the back.

"H-hey, are you ok?" She asked, and Christa shuddered, closing her eyes as she got sick. After a few seconds, she wiped her mouth, and Abby lead her back to the table.

"O-oh Arceus! How could I eat my own creations?!" She asked shuddering in disgust. Taking her plate and dumping the rest of the bacon in the trash, I grabbed some pancakes and brought them back, setting them in front of her.

"Here, these might make you feel a bit better." I said, and she looked warily at the food.

"T-these aren't made with pokemon too, are they? She asked, hesitating as I handed her a fork. I shook my head, sliding them closer to her.

"Of course not; I wouldn't do that to you. They're just pancakes with Oran Berries. The only thing pokemon about them is that they were made using Moomoo milk." I said. Nodding, she slowly took a bite, before taking a bigger one, seeming to enjoy them. Seeing her calming down, Abby and I continued with our food. When we had all finished, Christa sat in silence for a few seconds, before sighing.

"I'm sorry if it seems I overreacted, but... I gave life to the other pokemon, so me eating them, that's disturbing to me." She said with a frown.

"Hey, nobody's going to hold it against you, so relax." I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, though she still looked as if something was bothering her. "What's wrong?" I asked, and she looked away, looking guilty.

"I-is it wrong that even though I'm disgusted, I still liked the taste?" She asked, looking conflicted. I smiled, shaking my head.

"Not at all. Most people like foods when they don't know what they're actually eating. I'll tell you what though, if you don't tell anyone, we won't say anything either, right Abby?" I asked, and she agreed.

"Right!" She said, and Christa smiled slightly.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She said, and I nodded.

"No problem. Hey, do you think you could go and wake the others? We have to leave soon if we want to make it to the wedding on time, and I want to make sure everyone has had breakfast." I said, and she nodded, standing up.

"Sure, I can do that." She said, before walking out of the dining room. When she was out of site, Abby leaned back, taking a deep breath.

"Oh Arceus, I feel bad for her! That had to be hard, finding out what she was eating." She said, and I agreed, sighing.

"Yeah, I know, but let's just forget it, ok? We said we wouldn't mention it." I said, and she nodded. "Come on, while Christa gets the others, let's start getting ready." I said, placing the empty dishes on the empty dish cart, before we headed back to our room.

 _Snow's POV_

Yawning, I stretched as I felt someone nudge me. Opening my eyes, I looked up, only to see Mitsuki standing over me. When she saw that I was awake, she smiled at me.

"Good morning!" She said, and I smiled back, shaking out my fur as I stood up. Looking around me, I saw that we were the only ones in the room.

"Good morning... Where are the others?" I asked, once again stretching, trying to get the kinks out of my back from when I was curled up.

"Oh, they went down for some breakfast. Now that you are awake, I'm going down too. Are you coming?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm not that hungry, but you go on ahead." I said, and she frowned.

"Are you sure? You should get something to eat. After all, we need energy for when we move out after the wedding." She said.

"Right... The wedding." I said, more than a little awkwardness in my voice, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Is something wrong?" She asked, sitting down next to me. I hesitated for a few seconds, before sighing and shaking my head.

"N-no, nothing's wrong per se, it's just... I still don't know where I truly stand when it comes to people and pokemon being in relationships. I don't think I'd belong at an event bringing a human and a pokemon together like that..." I said, and Mitsuki nodded in understanding.

"I get it, but think of it this way. If two beings truly love each other, shouldn't they be together regardless of their species or gender?" She asked, and I nodded.

"I guess that makes sense." I said, before mulling over her choice of words. "Wait. So you support people or pokemon of the same gender being together?" I asked in pleasant surprise.

"Of course. It would be kind of hard not to when a friend and teammate was in that kind of relationship. Also, I do have to admit, I guess you could say I fall on both sides of the spectrum..." She said, her voice going quiet.

"R-really?" I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up, and she looked at me in confusion for a few seconds, before a look of realization at what she had just said flashed across her face.

"O-oh, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I-I wasn't coming on to you, if that's what you're thinking!" She said quickly, and I couldn't help but feel a strange twinge of disappointment. It must have been evident, because she looked at me in confusion. A long moment of silence hung in the air around us, before Mitsuki cleared her throat. "A-anyways, are you sure you're not hungry?" She nervously asked.

"I-I guess I could eat..." I said, and she nodded, opening the door. As we walked through the hall and passed Void's room, I stopped, and Mitsuki looked at me curiously. "H-hey, do you think you could save some food for me? I have to ask Void something." I said, and she nodded.

"Sure... I'll be in the dining area, I guess." She said, before walking down the hall, giving me a last look over her shoulder. When she was out of sight, I turned towards Void's door, pawing at it and calling for Void. A few seconds later, Abby opened the door.

"Hey, Abby. Is Void here?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Snow, but he's in the shower right now. Would you like me to let him know that you were looking for him?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No, that's ok." I said, before hesitating. "However, maybe you could help instead?" I asked, and she shifted her weight to her other leg.

"Well, I can certainly try. Come in." She said, gesturing for me to enter. Taking a step inside, I sat down on the floor while Abby closed the door behind me. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, and I sighed, biting my lips nervously.

"Right... I could use some advice. Mitsuki just mentioned to me how she also likes girls." I said, and Abby looked surprised.

"Ok. So what does that have anything to do with you needing advice?" She asked, and I looked away, my cheeks burning. She looked at me for a few more seconds, before finally catching on. "Ohhh... So you like her?" She asked, and I blushed even harder.

"That's just it... I didn't know I felt this way until she mentioned what she did. What do I do?" I asked, looking pleadingly at Abby. She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before appearing to come to a decision.

"You want my advice?" She asked, and I nodded desperately. "Look, you can do with it what you want, but my advice is that you talk to her. Tell her how you feel about her." She said, and I looked at her wide eyed.

"What?! But what if she doesn't feel the same about me? What if she starts avoiding me? I don't think I could handle that..." I said, and Abby rolled her eyes.

"Are we even talking about the same Mitsuki? The same one who has been so nice to you and has put her trust in you even when we couldn't? Something tells me she wouldn't let this get in between you. And if she so happens to not feel the same about you, rejection is a part of life, it will help you get stronger." She said, placing a hand on my back. I took a deep breath, before nodding.

"Y-yeah. Y-you're right. I should just tell her the truth." I said, standing up. "Thank you, Abby. You really helped!" I said, and she smiled.

"No problem, I'm glad I could. Now go on and tell her the truth!" She said, holding the door open for me. Thanking her once again, I took another breath, before making my way to the dining room. Seeing Mitsuki sitting off to the side, I began to walk over. Seeing me, she waved me over.

"Hey! Here you go, I got you some pancakes. So, how did it go? Did you talk to Void?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No, but I did talk to Abby..." I said, and she tilted her head in curiosity.

"Oh? So what did you talk about? If you don't mind me asking."

"I just needed a little advice. Listen... I really need to tell you something. I don't know how to say it, but I'm just going to straight out tell you the truth like Abby suggested." Taking a deep breath, I mentally prepared myself. "I really like you! L-like more than a friend. I-I didn't seem to realize it until you said that you liked girls as well, b-but I really do like you." I said, closing my eyes and preparing for the rejection I was sure was about to come. When the only response I got was a small chuckle, I opened my eyes and searched her face, only to feel my mouth go dry. "Y-you knew..." I said softly, and she nodded, giving me a small smile.

"Yes... It wasn't that hard to figure out; What with small look of disappointment and how nervous you were when I told you." She said, and I frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" I asked, and she looked me in the eyes.

"I wanted you to tell me yourself. That way, I would be able to tell how serious you were." She said, and I gulped.

"S-so... What do you think?" I asked, and she thought for a few seconds, before giving me a smile and pulling me against her side.

"I think I'm willing to give it a chance if you are." She said, and I immediately nodded, pressing the side of my head against her side, causing her to smile. "However, I hope you know how relationships work, because I don't really have any idea." She said, and I just lovingly cuddled into her side, causing her to sigh and roll her eyes halfheartedly. "I guess we'll just have to worry about that later." She said, before we both began to eat, enjoying our new closeness.

 **Chapter 25 completed! I hope you all had a happy holidays and a happy New Years. It's hard to believe I started this story back in 2015 and it's already 2017. I would like to thank you all for sticking around through the story, and I hope you continue to stick around. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review, as they do help.**

 **~Spudbud16**


	29. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 _Abby's POV_

As Snow walked down the hallway heading for the dining area, I closed the door and sat on the bed; Grabbing the brush and straightening out my fur. As I moved the brush through my fur, I couldn't help but to grin. Now that I thought about it, with the way Snow and Mitsuki always stayed close to each other, I can't believe they may only now just be getting together. They definitely seem like they would make a good couple. The sound of the bathroom door opening caused me to look up. Void walked out wearing new clothes. He looked at me as I sat there, still grinning. "What's with the grinning?" He asked, looking at me in confusion.

"Oh, nothing..." I said teasingly. "Snow just stopped by looking for you." I said, and he walked over to the door and opened it, looking left and right.

"Really? What did she need? Should I go look for her?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, there's no need, I was able to help her" I said, and he smiled, though he still looked curious.

"That's good. I'm glad that you helped her! So, what did she need?" He asked once again, and I just continued to grin, gesturing for him to follow me as I went to the door and walked into the hallway.

"Come on. Can't you just tell me what she needed?" He asked, and I shook my head, gesturing again for him to follow me.

"If you follow me, you can find out yourself!" I said. "However, I will say that she stopped by looking for some advice." I said, and he looked at me in interest and confusion.

"Advice? What kind of advice?" He asked, but I just turned away, beginning to walk down the hall. Sighing, he fell in behind me, having no choice but to follow if he wanted to find out what was going on. I lead the way in the direction Snow had walked in. Eventually, as we began to pass by the dining area, I froze and his behind the left side of the door as I saw her and Mitsuki sitting in a corner. Oblivious to what was happening, Void stopped next to me. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Shhh!" I said, pulling him behind the wall next to me. I watched in silence as Snow and Mitsuki talked to each other, the former looking incredibly nervous. Mitsuki seemed to chuckle, before saying something that seemed to make Snow happy. Snow suddenly nuzzled Mitsuki, and I smiled, before backing up and pulling Void with me as we stepped away, leaving them to themselves. "So, did you see it?" I asked, and he looked at me blankly.

"See what? You mean Snow and Mitsuki nuzzling?" He asked, and I nodded. "What about it? They're close friends, so it makes sense." He said, and I looked at him incredulously.

"Are you really dense enough not to see what's going on here?" I asked, and he gave me a blank look. Sighing, I shook my head. "I'm surprised we even got as far as we did!" I said, rolling my eyes to let him know I wasn't serious. "Snow came by wanting some advice. She likes Mitsuki, and she just found out Mitsuki also likes girls." I said, and his eyes widened in realization.

"Really?" He asked, taking another look around the corner at the new couple; Who were currently leaning against each other while eating. "Huh... I knew they were close, but I didn't think it would go this far." He said, looking surprised for a few seconds, before smiling. "Well... Good on them! I'm glad they're happy." He said, and I nodded, watching their new found closeness.

"So, what do we do now? With the wedding so close, we can't exactly go back to sleep, and we're already ready, what else do we do?" I asked, and he thought for a few seconds, before nodding; Having come to a conclusion.

"Well, first things first, I need to wake my parents. They've always been heavy sleepers." Void said, getting ready to head off, before turning back to me. "Why don't you go get something to eat?" He asked, and I smiled.

"That definitely sounds like a plan!" I said, blushing when my stomach growled in agreement at the mention of food. Smiling, he turned and began walking down the hall, heading for his parents' room. Walking into the dining area, I made my way to the food table, grabbing myself a bagel and some sausage. After grabbing my food, I headed over to Snow and Mitsuki. Ears twitching as I got closer, Snow looked up, smiling when she saw me.

"Hey, Abby!" She said, and Mitsuki looked up as well, also giving me a friendly smile. Smiling back, I sat down next to them. For the first few seconds, we all sat in silence, until I cleared my throat, breaking the silence.

"So, by the way you both are so close, I assume you two are together?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Snow blushed, while Mitsuki smiled and nodded.

"I guess so, though I have no idea what to do when in a relationship." She said, looking sort of lost, and I looked at her in confusion.

"Wait, what do you mean? I thought..." I began, before trailing off as I remembered that she didn't have a choice before when her old trainer paired her with the Ditto. Understanding what I was about to say, she shook her head sadly.

"No, I've never been in a relationship before, so I am clueless. What about you, you're in a relationship" She said, and I nodded awkwardly, thinking.

"Well, when it comes to Void and I, we usually just cuddle, kiss, and... Do other things." I said, blushing at the last part. "However, when it comes to two girls, I don't really know..." I said, before seeing her frown slightly. "Although... You know who _could_ help you?" I asked, and she looked at me questioningly. "Nurse Joy and Naomi! After all, they're in a relationship." I said, and Mitsuki smiled.

"That sounds like it could be a good idea." She said, before we all went silent again.

"So... Are you excited about going to the wedding?" I asked, and Mitsuki smiled and shrugged.

"Excited? Not really. Happy that two friends found love and are happy? Absolutely!" She said. "I'm happy for them, they seemed really happy together." She said, and I nodded, before giving Snow a curious look.

"What about you, Snow? I know your views on pokemon and humans being together, but are you at least happy for them?" I asked, and she hesitated for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Y-yeah, I'm happy for them." She said, before frowning. "It's just... I've spent all my life in an organization that hates this kind of thing. I just don't feel like I'd belong there. I'd just ruin the mood." She said, and both Mitsuki and I frowned.

"Don't worry, you won't ruin the mood. Just because you used to be in Team Lotus doesn't mean you have to let that effect the rest of your life. I'm sure Liam and Fiona won't mind if you come!" Mitsuki said, pulling her closer, and I nodded.

"Exactly! In fact, I'm sure they'd be grateful if you could come." I said, and Snow sighed, leaning against Mitsuki.

"Well, if you're sure me being there won't cause trouble..." She said, and I nodded.

"Of course I'm sure, you'll see. Liam and Fiona are nice." I said, and she smiled.

"So, when exactly are we going, and where's Void?" Mitsuki asked, before popping a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Well, as soon as Void gets back, we should be heading out. As for where he is, he said he had to wake his parents up." I said, going back to eating. Mitsuki nodded, and we fell silent, enjoying our breakfast.

 _Void's POV_

Walking down the hall, I made my way to where my parents were staying. Arriving at their room, I knocked on the bedroom door, before taking a step back and waiting. A few seconds later, my mother's voice called for me to enter. Opening the door and stepping inside, I saw her helping dad straighten the bowtie he had around his chest spike. Looking up, she smiled when she saw me. "Ah, good morning, Void!" She said, and I smiled back.

"Good morning, mom, dad." I said, giving them each a nod. "I was just dropping by to wake you up, but I guess that wasn't necessary." I said, and mom frowned.

"Well, I'm glad that you did stop by. It gives me the chance to give you these!" She said, finishing helping dad, before grabbing something from the side of the bed. Walking over to me, she set what I recognized as my suit in my hands, as well as the bows belonging to Abby and Rose. "When Liam said he had invited you to their wedding as well, I made sure to wash your suit." She said. Taking the folded up clothes, I smiled.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it. So... How have you both been doing recently?" I asked, and my dad sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"We've been doing ok. Things have definitely been quiet with only two in the house." He said, before looking down and sighing once again. "Listen Void, I know what you said before, but are you sure there's no way you could come back home? We're worried sick about you!" He said, and I frowned, looking him in the eyes and seeing the concern there. Sighing, I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'll come home." I said, and he looked up at me, opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, before I continued. "To visit..." I said, and he seemed to deflate. "I'm sorry, that's the best I can do right now. Traveling around like this has been the most fun I've ever had! I'm afraid I just wouldn't be able to return to just sitting around the house." I said. Dad closed his eyes, and I prepared for whatever argument he would try, but to my surprise, he only nodded.

"I get it... I know what you're talking about." He said, and mom nodded as well.

"That feeling is all too familiar. I used to feel the same way when we used to travel the region. Just... Promise me you'll be careful out there. I may understand your need to travel, but there were no criminal groups that we saw when we were going around on our journey. I don't want to hear on the news that you won't be coming home!" She said, and I nodded. Before I could say anything however, a knock on the the door interrupted us. Opening the door a few seconds later, Abby peaked inside.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to let Void know that everyone has eaten and we're all ready to go." She said, and mom smiled, gesturing for to come in.

"Oh, Abby, come in!" She said, and Abby blinked, before entering the room and closing the door behind her. "I washed and brought yours and Rose's bows." She said, and I handed the light blue bow from before to Abby, and she smiled.

"Thank you." She said, before turning to me. "Hey Void, can you help me put it on?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Sure." I said, stepping forward as she handed me the bow once again. Placing the bow on her head between her ears, I straightened it, before taking a step back to get a better look. "There!" I said, giving her a smile.

"Looks pretty good!" Mom said, causing her to smile and blush. "So Abby..." She said, and Abby cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

"Yes?" She asked, and my mother looked at me, before looking back to Abby and sighed.

"Can I ask you a favor?" She asked, and Abby nodded, looking at her with interest. "Can you watch out for Void and keep him safe on your travels?" She asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, come on mom, you know I'm not exactly powerless, you don't have to worry!" I said, and she frowned, not looking at all convinced.

"Honey, I'm your mother, it's my job to worry about you. You and I both know you've always managed to get into some kind of trouble while growing up." She said, and I frowned. Opening my mouth to reply, Abby quickly interrupted.

"Don't worry, I'll keep him safe!" She said, and I sighed. Smiling, my mom nodded, giving her a thankful look.

"Thank you, Abby. We really do appreciate it." She said, and my father nodded, seeming to calm down slightly. After a few seconds, she spoke up once again. "Anyways, you should all start heading out now if you want to get to the wedding on time." She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"Wait... Aren't you coming with us? I thought you were going to the wedding too. Isn't that why you're all dressed up?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Oh, we're going alright, but you guys go on ahead, we'll meet you there once it starts." She said, and I frowned slightly, before nodding.

"If you're sure..." I said, stepping forward and giving them both a hug, before heading towards the door. "I guess we'll see you there" I said, before opening the door and walking out into the hallway, followed by Abby. As we walked through the hall and towards the dining area, I turned to look at Abby. "You know I don't need you to watch over me like my parents wanted, right? You know more than anyone that I'm more than capable of fighting." I said, and she nodded, giving me a smile.

"I know that, but they're your parents. Don't you think they deserve to be reassured?" She asked, and I looked away, nodding. "I'm sure they realize that you're going to be ok, but they just worry anyways, because they love you!" She said, and I smiled.

"You're a good person, you know that?" I asked, and she leaned against me, laying her head on my shoulder as we walked.

"So you've said..." She said, before looking me in the eyes. "But I hope you know I wasn't lying when I said what I did to them. I will still do everything in my power to keep you safe!" She said, and I nodded, wrapping my arm around her.

"I know, and I guess I wouldn't have it any other way." I said, causing her to blush. "Now come on, let's get the others." I said, walking around the corner and into the dining area, where everybody seemed to be gathered and waiting. As we entered, Kazumi and Christa looked up, floating over to us as they saw us.

"Hey Void, Abby, are we getting ready to go?" Christa asked, and I nodded, giving her a smile. She smiled back, before going to tell the others. Kazumi however, stayed next to us.

"Hey, is it just me, or do Mitsuki and Snow seem to be close? I mean, I know they like to hang out with each other, but something seems... Different." She said, casting a look of disdain towards the Absol, who's ear twitched slightly.

"Well, that might be because they just got together." Abby said, and Kazumi looked surprised.

"What?! When did that happen?" She asked incredulously, before frowning. "Huh, what does Mitsuki even see in her? She deserves better!" Kazumi said, and Snow flinched. I had no doubt she had overheard Kazumi's snide comment. Looking at her slack jawed, I shook my head.

"That's enough!" I said, and Kazumi looked at me in surprise. "You are both on the same team. I get that you don't like Snow, but she is not the same as she was before! You really should be nicer to her." I said, and she gave me a defiant look.

"Why should I? She is the reason Christa almost died! It is because of her group that we are always going to be looking over our shoulders! If you ask me, I think we'd be better off without her." She said, and I sighed, giving her a disappointed look.

"You know? You should be ashamed. You are really becoming what I hate the most. All you are doing is bullying someone who already regrets their past!" I said, before sighing. "I'm done trying to convince you. If you're ok with becoming a bully, then fine. But just know, bullies don't get any respect, especially from me. Get ready, we're about to leave." I said, walking away from her and into the center of the room. Abby followed after me, shocked and silent. "Ok everybody, if we want to make it on time, we need to start heading out now." I said, and the others nodded, beginning to walk out of the dining area and towards the lobby. After a few seconds, Abby tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey Void, are you ok? I've never seen you lose your temper at any of us before. Getting frustrated, sure, but never anything like this..." She said, and I looked at her for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... I've told you about me growing up. I was bullied and ridiculed for years; Nobody was willing to take the time to give me a chance. Seeing Kazumi act the way she is towards Snow, it just reminds me of what I went through. I really hate seeing someone go through that." I said, and Abby nodded understandingly.

"I get it, but Snow will be ok. Kazumi is the only one who still doesn't like her. She still has others to turn to if she needs help, and don't forget, now she has Mitsuki to look out for her." She said, and I nodded, giving a weak smile.

"Yeah... I guess you're right." I said, before looking back towards the Absol in question, and I watched as Mitsuki put an arm around her giving her a smile and saying something that caused Snow to blush. Calming down slightly, I looked back at Abby. "Well, you're certainly right about her having Mitsuki, that's for sure." I said, before focusing on getting us to the wedding.

 _Snow's POV_

 _"What does Mitsuki even see in her? She deserves better!"_

 _"If you ask me, I think we'd be better off without her!"_

These phrases kept repeating over and over in my head as I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Void and Kazumi. Though I tried to deny to myself what she had said, part of me agreed with her; And though it stung worse than a swarm of angry Beedrill, I knew she spoke the truth. Mitsuki was wonderful and nice, while I had caused so much trouble. Trouble that still seemed to follow the group. Maybe everyone _would_ be better off without me. Part of me wished I could just disappear; To run away, though I knew that would only cause more trouble for Void. As I silently brooded to myself, Void walked away from Kazumi, before calling everyone to attention.

"Ok everybody, if we want to make it on time, we need to start heading out now." He said, and everyone began heading for the lobby. Mitsuki, who was at the food table getting a bit more to eat, walked back over to me, holding a few strips of bacon.

"Oh, looks like it's time to go. Luckily, I was able to snag some more bacon! Want some?" She asked, holding out a strip for me. I turned my head, shaking it with a sigh.

"No, it's fine..." I said, and she looked me in the eyes, looking concerned, before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer as we walked, following the others.

"Ok, what's wrong? You're looking really down all of a sudden, did something happen?" She asked, and I stayed silent for a few seconds, before sighing, looking down at the floor.

"Just thinking back about things..." I said, and she looked at me in confusion.

"Really? What kind of things?" She asked, and I hesitated.

"H-how it's my fault we have to worry about Team Lotus... And how you deserve better then me." I said, my voice cracking. She looked at me in shock for a few seconds, before her gaze hardened, and she looked around in anger.

"Ok, where the hell is she?!" She asked, and I looked at her in confusion.

"What? Where's who?" I asked, and Mitsuki locked eyes with me, causing me to freeze.

"I know you well enough to know that you don't normally talk that way! Just earlier this morning, you seemed really happy, now, you seem all depressed. Kazumi said something to you that upset you, didn't she?" She asked, and I frowned, looking away.

"N-not directly... I overheard her talking about how I was the reason Christa almost died and how she didn't understand what you saw in me..." I said, and she sighed, growling slightly.

"I swear to Arceus, I'm really going to have to have a serious talk with her!" She said under her breath before looking seriously at me. "Look, Snow, you shouldn't let her get to you like this." She said, and I shook my head, not looking her in the eyes.

"But she was right." I said, and she frowned.

"How so? You weren't the one who attacked Christa, I'm pretty sure that was your partner." She said, and I sighed. I was still part of the attack, so I may as well have been the one to almost kill Christa. "Also, what would Kazumi know about what I deserve in a relationship? I like you just the way you are, and if she can't see that, then that's her problem!" She said, and I blushed. "Don't listen to her, ok?" She asked, and I nodded, leaning against her. "Good, then let's go. We need to catch up to the others." She said, and we quickly made our way to the lobby, where everyone was waiting to go. Making their way to the front of the group and walking to the door, they both stretched their senses, before opening the door, beginning the trip to wherever we were going.

 **Hello, I'm sorry if the ending to this chapter is a bit weird or forced, I will be away from the 14th to the 20th for Katsucon, as well as spending time with family, and I wanted to make sure I got a chapter up before I went away.**

 **~spudbud16**


	30. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 _Void's POV_

Walking out of the pokécenter, I stretched my senses out, trying to find the members of Team Lotus, however, all seemed quiet, except for the people going to their morning jobs. Looking at Abby, I could see that she wasn't having any luck either. "Nothing?" I asked, and she blinked, shaking her head.

"No, nothing." She said, looking concerned. Seeing this, I frowned, looking at her in confusion.

"What's wrong? Isn't it good that they aren't around?" I asked, and she nodded, though she still looked around with a concerned expression.

"Yeah... With today being so important, it really is a good thing that everything seems to have calmed down. I don't know. I guess... With the way they were so close and active yesterday, it feels like a bad idea to just drop our guard. They were obviously up to something." She said, and I nodded in understanding, before giving her a reassuring smile.

"Look, for right now, they aren't around, so we don't have to worry right now. Plus, I doubt they'd try anything while we're still in the city; It's too public. Let's just focus on the wedding and enjoy this bit of quiet. We can worry about it when we leave the city." I said, and she sighed, before smiling back.

"You're right... So, where exactly is the wedding being held anyways?" She asked, and I rummaged through my bag, pulling out the invitation and reading it.

"Well, according to this, it should be at the Church of Arceus." I said, and she stopped walking for a few seconds, before hurrying to catch up again.

"Wait... The Church of Arceus? I never would have expected they would have it there!" She said, and I looked at her with a slight frown.

"Oh, and why's that? As much as some people may try to convince you otherwise, it's not really a sin. From what I can gather, Arceus and Christa don't really mind relationships between pokemon and humans." I said. Overhearing our conversation, Christa slowed down, matching our steps.

"Well, it certainly wasn't planned. When I created the other pokemon, I never expected they would fall for the humans that Lady Arceus created. However, seeing that she didn't seem to mind, I never really saw any problems with it." She said, and I smiled, before turning back to Abby.

"See, there really isn't any reason they shouldn't be able to have their wedding in the church." I said, and she nodded.

"That's good to know, but, that wasn't what I meant. I meant that Liam and Fiona seem like the kind of people who would try to keep their relationship as quiet as they could." She said, and I shrugged.

"Well, you aren't wrong, but this _is_ a private event. You'd need an invitation to attend." I said, putting the invitation in my pocket. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up once again.

"So, what exactly is a wedding like?" She asked, looking questioningly at me. I thought for a few seconds, before frowning and shaking my head.

"You know, I'm not really sure... Rose? What about you? You've been at my mom's side a lot, what was their wedding like?" I asked, and she sighed, shaking her head as well.

"Oh, your parents' wedding was small, they couldn't really have a fancy one, what with laws being a bit gray back then, so I don't know what an actual wedding is like." She said. I nodded, before sighing.

"I guess we'll just have it wait and see..." I said to Abby, before taking out my pokédex and activating the map when we got to the main street. Eventually, after checking and rechecking the map, the bell tower on top of the church came into view. Putting away the pokédex, we began to make our way closer. As we walked up to the large mahogany doors, they opened, and a fancily dressed man walked out and sighed, looking stressed. When he saw me, he straightened his suit, before walking over.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but we have a special event planned today, and only those already invited are allowed in, so I'm afraid we won't be having regular services today." He said, and I nodded, handing him the invitation. After reading over it, he smiled and nodded. "Ah, I see, so you're here for the wedding." He said, pocketing the invitation. "I'm afraid you're early, I could still let you in, but the wedding won't be starting for another hour." He said, sighing and rubbing his eyes, leaning against the wall. I thanked him, before looking at him in concern.

"Hey, are you ok? You look kind of stressed." I said, and he straightened up, once again fixing his suit.

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Weddings are just really stressful events. Not only that, but it was all pretty sudden. Liam called and asked for my help, and I just got here yesterday." He said, and I nodded, before finally taking the time to look at his suit.

"Wait, that suit... Are you a priest?" I asked in surprise, and he looked at me in confusion for a few seconds, before nodding.

"That's right, I am Father Christopher, though I don't see why me being a priest is so surprising." He said, and I gave him an apologetic look.

"Oh, sorry. It's not that, it's just hard to believe a priest would attend a wedding like this, not that there's any problem with pokemon and human marriages." I said, and he smiled, looking up towards the sky.

"I see... I have to agree with you, there aren't many of us who are ok with this type of relationship. Priests and others seem to preach about how it's wrong, yet they seem to have forgotten how humans and pokemon have been married all throughout history." He said, and upon seeing my look of confusion, he continued. "I have read many history books that all seem to say the same thing. From our first recorded moments of history, humans and pokemon have had deep bonds. Some were close friends, they helped each other farm and hunt, as well as protected each other. Although, there were some who held a special kind of bond; A bond of love. These people and pokemon would later come together. It is even said that it is possible that humans and pokemon are compatible with each other, and that children have been born from these unions." He said, and I looked away. "However, somewhere along the line of history, people's thoughts... Changed. These relationships became taboo. People say that that kind of thing is a disgrace to Arceus, and shouldn't happen." He said, and Christa rolled her eyes.

"People should keep their mouths shut when it comes to things they don't understand!" She mumbled under her breath. The priest sighed, going on.

"You know what I think though? If pokemon and humans are compatible with each other and have had kids, how could that kind of relationship be wrong? Why would Arceus make that possible if it shouldn't happen?" He asked, and I smiled. "Anyways, I've rambled on for too long now, you should go inside. If you're looking for Liam, he'll be down the left hallway, first door on the right." He said, opening the door for us, before turning back around as an older couple made their way towards the church. Watching for a few more seconds, we entered the big mahogany doors. Following Father Christopher's directions, we headed down the left hallway. Noticing the door that he had mentioned, I knocked on the door.

"Yes? Come in." A voice called from inside, sounding frustrated. Opening the door and entering, I immediately noticed Liam in front of a mirror, fussing over his tie, which he seemed to be having trouble with.

"Hey Mr. Liam. Do you need some help with that?" I asked, and he finally seemed to get it tied, before turning to look at us.

"Ah, Void! No, I've got it." He said, sitting down. "You're here quite early!" He said, and I nodded, holding out the box that contained his and Fiona's wedding gifts. He took it with a smile, setting it down on the desk.

"Yeah, I wanted a chance to hand you that before the wedding." I said. "So how have you been?" I asked, and he sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair.

"Honestly, I've been a big ball of stress lately. I knew weddings were hard to plan, but I didn't know it was going to be this hectic. We were barely able to have this wedding here at this church, and even then, none of the priests here would agree to help. Fiona really looked hurt when they started refusing us." He said, and I frowned, nodding in understanding.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where is Fiona? I want her to meet Snow." Abby said, giving him an apologetic look for interrupting, and Liam just smiled, shaking his head.

"Oh, she's right down the hallway, two doors to your right, I'm sure she'd be happy to see you all." He said, and Abby thanked him, before her and the others left the room, leaving me and Christa behind, as Christa awkwardly stayed where she was. "Snow?" He asked, after a couple seconds of silence. "I take it that that was the Absol that was with you. Is she one of the ones who were part of that Team Lotus? Are you sure it's a good idea to be traveling around with them?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Of course! She is no longer part of Team Lotus, and I have complete trust in her." I said, and he nodded, before shrugging. After a few seconds, Christa tapped me on the shoulder, catching my attention.

"Hey, uh Void, I think I might go follow the others, ok?" She said, and I nodded. Straightening her back, she began to walk towards the door.

"Wait a minute, who are you? I don't think I've seen you traveling with Void before." He said, and she froze, sighing, before turning around and walking over to him, shaking his hand.

"Hello, I'm Christa. I just recently started traveling around with Void and his team." She said, and Liam paused, looking confused.

"Wait. Christa? As in... Your Ditto?" He asked, looking at me. Christa frowned, looking confused as well. She looked between me and him, not understanding what was going on.

"Huh? Ditto?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, after the Team Lotus attack, Void said that you were hurt, and Officer Jenny said that you were going to be ok, after calling you a Ditto." He said, and upon understanding what was going on, she sighed.

"...Ditto?" She repeated, giving me a withering look, to which I countered with an apologetic one. Growling slightly in frustration, she closed her eyes. "That's it! I'm done with this stupid illusion disguise! It seems worthless while traveling with you, Void!" She said, before turning towards Liam. "If you even try _anything_ , I swear to Arceus, I will blast you with everything I have." She said through gritted teeth, causing him to take a step back. Taking a calming breath, she slowly dropped her illusion, transforming back into her normal self, much to the astonishment of Liam.

 _Abby's POV_

Making our way over to where Liam said Fiona was, we all walked down the hallway. "So, who exactly is this Fiona?" Snow asked, and Mitsuki smiled.

"Fiona's a friend. She's the Braxen getting married to Liam today." She said, and Snow nodded, smiling slightly.

"That's good! I wanted to get a chance to ask how they met, and why she's able to love a human." She said, and I smiled, before giving her a wary look.

"If you mean how you asked about Void and I, you may want to use a little more tact..." I said, and she nodded in understanding. Walking down the hall, we arrived at the third door on the right; The room that Fiona was in. Making sure everyone was here, I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Fiona called us in. Opening the door, we walked in. Upon looking around, I saw her sitting at a desk in front of a mirror; Looking troubled. Seeing her in a white dress, I smiled. "Hey Fiona! That dress looks great on you!" I said, and she looked back at us, her face lighting up slightly.

"Oh, hey guys!" She said, before standing up and looking down at her dress. "Thank you! You have no idea how hard it was to track down someone willing to make a wedding dress for a pokemon, let alone a dress with fabric that can stretch!" She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"Stretch? Why?" I asked, and she smiled, shaking her head..

"You'll find out when the wedding starts." She said, before frowning and sighing to herself, much to my confusion. Looking at her closely, I realized that she looked worried.

"Hey Fiona, what's wrong? You look worried about something." I said, and she flinched, before looking down at the floor.

"When Liam proposed to me, I was ecstatic. I had never been more happy!" She said with a weak smile, before letting it fade. "However, recently, I've been noticing the way people look at him. He may not show it around me, but I can sense how much it bothers him. I'm just worried that if we get married, he'll lose the respect he's gained from everyone. I really don't want to do that to him..." She said, and Snow looked surprised by what she had just said. Frowning, I placed a paw on Fiona's shoulder. However, before I could say anything to comfort her, Snow stepped in.

"H-hey, you shouldn't let people get to you like that. If you truly love him, shouldn't the only thing that matters be that you both are together and happy? At least that's the advice I received." She said, and Fiona nodded a few seconds later, before looking at her in confusion.

"Y-yeah, you're right, but who are you? I don't remember seeing you with Void and the others before." She said, and Snow hesitated for a few seconds, before sighing.

"I-I'm Snow. You didn't see me because I was in the pokécenter... After I got kicked out of Team Lotus. Void took me in when I was healed up." She said, and Fiona looked at her in shock.

"Wait... Doesn't Team Lotus hate interspecies relationships? Even if you're traveling with Void, why would a previous Team Lotus member go to an event that brings two species together and offer support?" She asked, and Snow looked at the floor. Mitsuki, sensing her discomfort, sidled up closer to her, offering a closeness that seemed to calm the Absol.

"I-I realized that there is more than one side to the views on interspecies relationships, and while I don't one hundred percent like the idea of a pokemon and human being together romantically, I still want to learn more and form my own opinion instead of the one forced onto me. In fact, I was hoping to ask some questions if there's time." She said, taking a breath. Fiona looked surprised, though she still nodded in understanding.

"I-I see... What kind of questions?" She asked, looking curious. Seeing that she wasn't against the idea of her being here, Snow calmed down slightly.

"Questions like, how you both met and how you got to where you are today." She said, and Fiona looked up at a wall mounted clock, before giving a small smile.

"Yeah, I think I could answer that." She said, sitting down again. "Let's see. When Liam first started out on his journey, I was given to him as his first pokemon by the professor of the Kalos region, who was visiting this region's professor." She said, before sighing. "When we began traveling, I used to absolutely _despise_ him, and I made that painfully obvious by the way I acted around him..." She said, and I looked at her in surprise.

"Wait, why did you feel that way? It's hard to picture you not liking Liam when you are both getting married!" I said, and she nodded.

"Well, since the time I hatched, I always dreamed of traveling around with a strong trainer. While waiting for a trainer to choose me as their starter, I used to train, often causing the lab assistants quite a bit of trouble when they had to heal my self inflicted injuries. When I was given to Liam, I was excited! I thought I was finally going to get the chance to follow my dream." She said, before frowning. "However, that wasn't what happened. You see, Liam doesn't like to battle unless it's absolutely necessary. At that point, all my hard work had been for nothing. I felt as if he had taken my dream and stomped on it, and I hated him for that." She said, and I nodded in understanding.

"So when did that change? Things obviously didn't stay that way. When did you start liking him?" Snow asked, and Fiona smiled, blushing slightly.

"About the time I found out about pokemon contests." She said, a fond look on her face, and I guessed that these contests were a happy time for her. "We had just gotten to the nearest town after I had been ignoring him for a while, and he had us stop at a pokécenter for the night. After we got to the room he rented, he sat in silence for a bit before doing something I didn't expect... He apologized. He knew that I hated him for not letting me fight. He made the suggestion of participating in the pokemon contest that was to be held in that town in three days. He admitted that I still wouldn't be able to fight, but it would be a good chance to show off the moves I had learned. That was first time I had gotten a chance to look him in the eyes. He was genuinely trying to make me happy." She said, and Snow looked thoughtful.

"I see. So is that when you fell in love with him?" She asked, and Fiona shook her head, leaning back in her seat.

"Not quite, but that was when I truly began to warm up to him. He may be a coward when it comes to fights, but he more then makes up for it with his kindness." She said, blushing brightly. "But no, I truly started to fall for him after we had entered a few more contests. Participating in contests regularly is an expensive hobby. After a while, our supply of money started running out. However, he refused to tell me to stop. He always seemed to come up with the money to keep me entered. At the time, I didn't really realize how he did it, but at least it meant I could continue with my fun. Then one night, when I was supposed to be sleeping, I saw him going through his stuff. He had been selling his things; just to have enough money for me to enter contests and for us to continue traveling. I guess that's when I realized how much he was doing for me, and when I started falling in love." She said, before sighing. "I know, falling in love with someone due to them spending money on you isn't really a good reason, but I don't care about money and things, I love him for supporting me, for always being there for me." She said, and I smiled.

"Well, that seems like a good enough reason to me! If you love him, you love him." I said, and she smiled.

"Thank you. So, did that answer your questions?" She asked, turning to look at Snow, and she nodded, looking content with what she had heard. "Well, good! I'm happy to have helped." She said, looking up at the clock, before her eyes went wide. "That took longer than I expected! The wedding's starting soon, I have to go!" She said, standing up and heading for the door. Now that the wedding was about to start, we got ready too, preparing to meet with Void.


	31. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 _Void's POV_

"Y-you're Mew!" Liam said, looking at Christa in shock, as she floated in front of us, having dropped her illusion in annoyance. She turned to look at him looking wary and annoyed.

"You're not going to try and capture me, are you?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, and after continuing to look at her in shock for a few more seconds, he blinked, looking confused.

"What? Capture you? No! Legendary pokemon shouldn't even be captured! And anyways, I... I don't believe in battling in the first place, so what even would the point of trying be?" He asked, and Christa looked surprise.

"Huh, well aren't you the unusual human. Usually, people wouldn't hesitate to try and catch me. Not only that, but you don't like to battle..." She said, beginning to calm down, and Liam nodded.

"Yeah, and would you believe that Fiona used to hate me due to my not liking battling?" He asked, before his eyes widened, and he jumped up out of his chair, causing Christa to tense up again. "Fiona! I should tell her that you're here. I'm sure she'd be happy to know you are attending the wedding!" He said, and taking a deep breath, Christa floated in front of him, stopping him from going any farther.

"Wait. I don't know much about weddings, but aren't you both supposed to be kept separate until the wedding starts?" She asked, and he frowned.

"I know, but-" He began, but I walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, why don't you tell us how you both met? You said she used to hate you for not battling? It's hard to believe that, after all, she seems pretty fond of you." I said, and he sighed, sitting back down.

"I guess I could explain." He said, looking away. "Fiona was my first pokemon; Her pokéball was handed to me by Professor Sycamore, the pokemon professor from the Kalos region when he was visiting professor Rowan; This region's professor. I was getting ready to go on my journey to see the world with my new partner. Unfortunately, when I told her about my dislike of battling, she didn't hesitate to show her dislike of _me_." He said, and I looked at him in confusion.

"Ok, but why would she hate you for that? That doesn't seem like a good reason to hate someone." I said, and he sighed.

"You'd think so, right? But no, I actually understand. According to Professor Sycamore, Fiona had trained herself to fight; Sometimes to the point of self inflicted injury. When Professor Sycamore learned that I didn't like to battle, he asked if I may be able to try and help her calm down. Professor Rowan also seemed interested, as he wanted to see if pokemon can evolve without battling." He said, and Christa frowned.

"So they sent her along with you just to test a theory? She was just an experiment?" She asked, and Liam frowned as well.

"To Professor Rowan, maybe, but not to Professor Sycamore or me. Sycamore just wanted Fiona to calm down. He didn't want her to get hurt like she was. As for me, I was just happy to have her traveling around with me." He said, before sighing. "Anyways, like I said before, she wasn't very happy that she wasn't going to be able to fight. She ignored me whenever I tried to talk to her, and glared at me whenever I turned down a pokemon battle.

"So how did all of that change? You two are getting married, so she obviously doesn't hate you anymore." I said, and Christa also looked curious. Liam smiled, nodding.

"Well, we had just gotten into town, and it was getting pretty late, so I had us stop by the pokécenter for the night. After sitting in silence for a while, I apologized. I apologized for not being the trainer she wanted. I explained to her why I didn't like battles, and I generally apologized for how she must have felt." He said, getting more comfortable in his chair. "Something seemed to change in her at that point. While she still looked upset, she at least began to talk to me, and for the first time since she joined me, she looked me in the eyes without glaring at me. Seeing that she still seemed upset, I suggested that we could always compete in Pokemon Contests." He said, and I looked at him in confusion.

"Pokemon Contests? What are they?" I asked, and he looked at me in surprise.

"You've never heard of Pokemon Contests?" He asked, and when I shook my head, he frowned. "A Pokemon Contest is an event held every three months. They allow pokemon to dress up and show off the moves they know, and they try to combine the moved to make them look amazing. There are three classes, and depending on if you won the first contest, you can move on to the next class." He said, and I nodded in understanding. "Anyways, I suggested that we enter a Pokemon Contest, as that would let her show off the moves she learned while training. It wouldn't be the same as battling, but it was a decent substitute." He said, giving a shrug. Christa nodded, before smiling.

"So I take it that she enjoyed the contests?" She asked, and he sighed.

"Oh yeah, right up to the point we almost went bankrupt." He said, grimacing slightly, and I looked at him in confusion. "As I am sure you can guess, entering contests isn't cheap. Besides having to buy the costumes, there's always the entrance ticket you have to buy, which goes up in price every time you go to the next class. But you know what? She was happy, and I wouldn't want to take that away from her. When money got tight, I just ended up pawning things off at the pokémart. I even almost pondered pawning the old watch my dad gave me for luck when I first started my journey, but we ended up not entering the master class; even though we would have been able to." He said, and I looked at him in confusion again.

"Why not?" I asked, and he sighed.

"She said she had saw me sorting my stuff, and had noticed that we didn't have as many supplies after the contests. She put two and two together and said that she felt bad." He said, frowning slightly. "In the end, we just started traveling around, and eventually settled down here; Where I founded 'Build a Ball Workshop' with a friend." He said, and I nodded, giving him a smile.

"Well, at least everything worked out in the end!" I said, and he nodded, opening his mouth to say something, however, before he could, there was a knock on the door. A few seconds later, Abby and the others opened the door and looked in.

"Hey, Fiona is already heading up, shouldn't you?" Abby asked, and Liam jolted up from his chair, looking at the clock.

"Right! Thanks, I didn't think it was this late already!" He said, before rushing out of the room. Blinking and watching him rush past, Abby turned to me.

"Shouldn't we go to?" She asked, and I nodded.

"You guys go ahead, I have to talk to Christa for a minute." I said, and she nodded in understanding, before leading everybody in the direction that Liam ran off in. Christa gave me a questioning look, and I sighed. "So, does this mean that you are dropping the human disguise?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Yes. There's no point in keeping it while traveling with you, is there?" She asked, giving me an exasperated look, and I returned it with an apologetic one.

"Well, if that's the case, can I make a suggestion, even though you might not like it?" I asked and she nodded, looking confused.

"Sure..." She said, before a few seconds later, her eyes widened in realization. "No! No, no, no. Absolutely not!" She said, floating away from me slightly, and I sighed.

"Listen. Just hear me out first, please. I know you don't like pokéballs, and I'm not asking you to stay in one all the time. If you have a pokéball, you won't have to be worried about people throwing pokéballs anymore. Look, you don't even have to use it. Not only that, but if you ever decided you wanted to leave, I wouldn't stop you." I said, and she chewed on her lips, looking nervous.

"I-I know you've given me no reason not to trust you with this kind of stuff, but..." She began, and I nodded.

"I know you don't like them, I'm just making this suggestion so you don't have to be as wary anymore. I promise, you'd have nothing to worry about." I said, and she gulped, before sighing.

"I know, and I'll admit, not having to worry would be great, but... I don't know if I'd be ready to try going near a pokéball." She said, before taking a deep breath. "Can I have a bit to think about it?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Of course..." I said, before looking at the clock. "Now come on, we should catch up to the others." I said, and she stayed quiet, just nodding her head, before floating up and sitting on my shoulder. Giving her a relaxing smile, I headed out the door, walking towards the Sanctuary, where the wedding would soon start.

 **Hello everybody, I just want to apologize for the short chapter, I have been dealing with quite a bit of writer's block with this story and 'Crafting a New World'. Good news though, for those who were interested in the idea of the wedding, that should be in the next chapter. Also, quick little plug in, I have recently uploaded a Naruto story, and if you get the chance, I'd really appreciate if you could check it out. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this (short) chapter, and I will see you in the next chapter.**

 **~spudbud16**


	32. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

 **Before this chapter starts, I just want to apologize if I butchered anything in the chapter. I have never been to a wedding before, so I had to do searching on google for what all is said at a wedding. Again, if any of the stuff that happens in this chapter is wrong, I apologize. Besides that though, I did obviously substitute some words and remove some phrases to make it fit the pokemon world, and this story.**

 _Void's POV_

Making our way out of the small room that had been used as a dressing room, we all walked through the corridor leading to the sanctuary, including Christa, who had decided to drop her human disguise, and was now sitting on my shoulder. Kazumi also sat on my shoulder next to her. "So, Christa, why did you get rid of your human disguise? Wasn't that so you would be able to stay safe?" She asked, and Abby lagged behind a bit until she was walking next to me.

"Yeah, I'm curious as well. I thought you wanted to stay in human form to avoid any trouble." She said, and Christa sighed, nodding her head.

"Well, it was supposed to be that way, but I guess that wasn't meant to be!" She said, giving me a sideways look. Seeing this, Abby rolled her eyes, looking at me in mock exasperation.

"What did you do this time, Void?" She asked, and I frowned.

"Hey. It wasn't me! It wasn't my fault Officer Jenny told Liam and Fiona that Christa was a Ditto!" I said, and she looked at me in confusion.

"I remember that, but what does that have to do with anything?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Liam recognised her name, and started to question why a Ditto would be walking around as a human, and I guess that was the final straw for her." I said, and Christa frowned.

"What's the point of a disguise when it just gets blown? No, I'm done using the disguise." She said, and I frowned as we got closer to the sanctuary.

"Well, you may need to use it at least one more time, or at least stay hidden during the wedding. If people see you, they wouldn't pay any attention to the wedding!" I said, and she sighed, before closing her eyes and focusing. A few seconds later, she began to slowly disappear, until she was no longer physically visible; Though I could still sense her Aura.

"C-Christa?" Kazumi asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"How's this for hidden?" Christa asked, her voice seemingly coming from nowhere, and I couldn't help but to chuckle at how cool that was.

"Ok, that's pretty cool, but I'm still able to sense you through your Aura." I said, and she once again became visible.

"Yeah, however it should be fine. Not everyone has the ability to sense Aura like you can, Void." She said, looking drained.

"I guess not, but are you ok?" I asked, looking at her in concern for a few seconds, and she only panted for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Going invisible takes a lot of energy and is hard to maintain, even for me. However, I need to keep it up, as it's the only way I can get in there unnoticed." She said, and I blinked.

"Maybe not..." I said, and she looked at me in confusion. "It might be a little demeaning, but I do have a large pocket on my jacket... You could always stay hidden in there." I said, pointing at the pocket on the front of my jacket, and she frowned, floating off my shoulder and looking closely at the pocket. Opening it and looking inside, she sighed.

"This might actually work... Here, hold it open." She said, and I nodded, holding the pocket so she could get in. Slowly squeezing in, she finally managed to completely sit inside; Her head poking over the edge.

"Comfortable?" I asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Sure... As comfortable as you can possibly be inside of a cramped area... Though I suppose this is better then passing out from the exhaustion of going invisible, so thank you." She said, and I smiled.

"Don't mention it. Just tell me if-" I began to say, before someone calling me caused me to turn around; Christa quickly ducking her head, completely hiding herself from view. Turning around to see who called me, I saw Greg, walking side by side with Hikari; His Luxio.

"Hey, Void! I was wondering when I'd see someone I knew here." He said, and I nodded, giving him a nervous look, straitening my jacket.

"Hey Greg, Hikari." I said nervously, and Greg looked at me in confusion for a few seconds, before frowning.

"I'm not even going to ask... So, how have you all been since last time?" He asked, and I sighed.

"Nervous and on edge, to say the least. As soon as we got back to Hearthome, we were being watched and followed by members of Team Lotus." I said, and his eyes widened, before he looked over his shoulder, looking thoughtful.

"Now that you mention it, there was someone who seemed to be watching the doors from across the street..." He said, and I looked at him in shock. "But if they were a member of Team Lotus, why are they following you? They may be an anti pokephilia group, but would they really chase after you because of that?" He asked, and I remained quiet. After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed slightly. "No, this has something to do with the legendary pokemon you have, doesn't it?" He asked, and again, I remained silent. "It does! So, which legendary is it?" He asked, and I glared at him.

"No offense meant, but shut up!" I said, and he looked at me in surprise, opening his mouth to say something. However, before he could, the sound of an Organ interrupted him, signaling that the wedding was about to begin soon. Taking this as a chance to end the subject, I quickly turned around. "Come on! The wedding is about to start!" I said, and without waiting for him, I turned and began walking fast down the hall, Abby and the others following right beside me. Having no other choice, he sighed, as he and Hikari caught up to us. Eventually, after walking a bit more, we came across another set of large mahogany doors; The sounds of the Organ filtering through from the other side. Looking at the others, I pushed, and the large doors opened. Walking inside and looking around, I noticed that we were in a spacious room; Chairs lined up in rows. To the side, there rested a large Organ; Someone sitting in front of it and testing it to make sure it worked. In the very front of the room, there was a small stage area, where I assumed Liam and Fiona would stand. Looking around to find a seat for me and the others, I saw my parents, sitting in the third row. Making my way over to them, we all sat down next to them. Looking up, my mom smiled.

"Ah, Void, there you are! You were almost late." She said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We had to figure something out before we got here. Also, Greg just got here." I said, and she frowned, looking over at Greg.

"Greg...? The same kid who beat you up and bullied you?" She ask, giving him a look, and he looked back at her awkwardly.

"Yes... That would be me; But I've long since apologized for that. Void even gave me this so I'd be able to talk to Hikari here." He said, pointing to the pokétranslator in his ear. My mom blinked.

"That does seem like something Void would do..." She said, before looking at me in confusion. "But where did you get a pokétranslator? Those things are really expensive." She said, and I nodded.

"I actually got it from Liam. He gave it to me for testing out the Luxury Ball. However, since I don't really need a translator, I gave it to Greg, since he could put it to better use." I said, and he nodded.

"I definitely was able to get a lot of use out of it so far!" He said, and Hikari leaned her head into his side. Seeing this, my dad looked between them in surprise. However, before anything could be said, Fiona, wearing a wedding dress, walked onto the stage, looking around.

"T-testing..." She said, her voice coming from a speaker attached to the wall. Everyone in the room fell silent, as her voice was clearly heard, even by the people who didn't have pokétranslators. After being satisfied that her voice was being heard, she cleared her throat nervously. "G-good morning everybody... There's still a few minutes before the wedding begins, but I just wanted to take this time to thank you all for coming this morning. I know relationships between pokemon and humans are frowned upon, so just know that the fact that you all are here today truly means a lot to us..." She said, before looking around once more, giving a small bow, before leaving the stage from a set of steps to the left. Everybody stayed quiet for a few seconds, before slowly beginning to talk once again amongst each other.

"That was pretty neat. That little headset she had must have been a translator! That will certainly come in handy for the wedding!" Mom said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and she smiled.

"Well, at one point of the wedding, it will be time for each of them to give their vows. That would be very difficult to do if she couldn't be understood, wouldn't you agree?" She asked, and I nodded in understanding. Looking around for a few seconds, Greg smiled when his eyes fell on someone sitting farther ahead.

"Hey, my brother's here, I'm going to go introduce Hikari to him." He said, before getting up and walking over to someone who I assume was his brother; Hikari following close behind. After a few seconds, dad looked around in confusion.

"Hey, where's Christa?" He asked, and mom also looked curious. Taking a quick glance around to make sure nobody else was looking, I turned back towards my parents and slowly lifted the flap of my coat pocket. A second later, Christa's head poked out, and she took a deep breath.

"Ah... It was starting to get stuffy in there!" She said, before noticing my parents. "Oh... Hello again." She said, leaning her arms over the edge of the pocket and giving a wave. Mom and dad blinked, looking shocked.

"W-what are you doing in Void's pocket?" Dad asked, and Christa sighed.

"I wanted to see the wedding. I could have gone invisible to watch it, but that takes up too much energy." She said, and dad nodded, before looking even more confused.

"What about your human disguise? That was pretty convincing if you ask me." He said, and she frowned, shaking her head.

"You'd think so, but not when you're traveling with someone else; The truth always seems to come out. No, I've decided that if it doesn't work out, what's the point? I'm done using disguises." She said, and dad nodded in understanding. With nothing else needing to be said, we fell into silence for a few minutes. Eventually, the Organ once again began to play, and the room fell silent as Fiona and Liam walked onto the stage. A few seconds later, Father Christopher walked in front of the stage, where a podium stood. After waiting until everyone was paying attention, he began.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for coming this morning as these two are being brought together in wedded matrimony. So, without further ado, let's begin." He said, before clearing his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of Arceus, and in the face of this company, to join together this man and this pokemon in holy matrimony; Which is an honourable estate, instituted of Arceus, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Arceus and her church. Into this holy estate, these two persons present come now to be joined. If anyone can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let them now speak, or else hereafter forever hold their peace." He said, before looking around; His eyes sweeping around the room. After a minute went by, and nobody said anything, he nodded, before turning to Liam and Fiona. "I require and charge you both, as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgement when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why you may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, you do now confess it. For be you well assured, that if any persons are joined together other than as Arceus's word does allow, their marriage is not lawful." He said, and when neither Liam nor Fiona spoke, he continued; Turning to look at Liam. "Liam. Do you take this pokemon to be your wedded wife, to live together after Arceus's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? To love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; And, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?" He asked, and Liam nodded.

"I do." He said, and Father Christopher then turned to Fiona.

"Fiona. Do you take this man to be your wedded husband, to live together after Arceus's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? To love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; And, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?" He repeated, and she nodded as well, meeting Liam's eyes; A smile on her face.

"I do." She said, and at this time they both walked closer to each other, intertwining their hands together. Nodding, Father Christopher went on.

"Before we bring out the rings, now is the time for your vows if you have any." He said, and Fiona nodded, looking into Liam's eyes once again.

"Liam... Honestly, I don't know how you could fall in love with me. I was such a spoiled brat when I first joined you. Not only did I give you trouble for not liking to battle, but I nearly drove you broke; To the point where you even started selling your things just so I could continue participating in pokemon contests. However, no matter how much trouble I caused for you, you always stuck around, and you were always there for me. Now that I'm standing here in front of you, about to get married to you, I couldn't be happier. Now it's my turn to be there for you..." She said, and he smiled at her. When Christopher turned to him, he took a deep breath.

"Fiona... I don't care how spoiled you may have been when you joined me. As for you giving me trouble for me not liking to battle, I never held that against you. I'm aware of how hard you used to train yourself to fight. I always felt bad for crushing your dreams, which is why I tried getting you interested in contests. They may have drained our money, but after seeing how happy being in the spotlight made you, I would gladly do it again, just to preserve that happiness." He said, and Fiona blushed slightly. Nodding, Father Christopher gestured towards someone who was standing to the side, and they began to make their way over; Holding a pillow that contained two rings. Straining to see, Christa's eyes widened when she saw the rings.

"Well, that sure is an interesting idea..." She said, and I raised an eyebrow, looking down at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, and she pointed at the rings.

"Just pay attention to what happens when she gets the ring..." She said, and I once again turned to look at what was happening. As the ring bearer brought the pillow containing the rings, Father Christopher took the rings and gently set one in each of their hands.

"With these rings, in the name of Arceus, I do pronounce you husband and wife." He said, as Fiona slipped the ring onto Liam's finger. "You may now kiss the bride." He said, and Liam smiled, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers, and as he did, he slipped the ring he was holding onto her finger. Suddenly, the stage was washed in a blinding bluish white light, and I had to squint. When the light faded, and I was able to see once again, there were a few gasps around the room. No longer was Liam standing with a Braxen, in front of him was now a Delphox; Her arms wrapped around him, and her eyes closed as she leaned into the kiss. After a few seconds, everybody began to clap, causing the new husband and wife to end the kiss and blush.

"Fire Stones?" I asked, and Christa nodded.

"Exactly! They must have planned for Fiona to evolve when the marriage was made official." She said, and Abby looked at us in realization.

"So that's what she meant!" She said, and I looked at her in confusion. "When we were talking to Fiona earlier, she mentioned how it had been hard to find a dress; Let alone one that could stretch. She must have been eluding to this!" She said, and I nodded in understanding.

"That was actually a pretty neat idea!" Mom said, and I looked around. Now that the wedding was winding down, everyone began to head out; Only Greg, his brother, Father Christopher, the ring bearer, and my parents remained, as well as me and the others. Making our way over to the stage to congratulate Liam and Fiona.

"Hey, congratulations!" I said, and Liam smiled, while Fiona looked around at the quickly emptying church with a sigh.

"They didn't even stay that long..." She said sadly, and the ring bearer smiled soothingly.

"Hey, don't worry about them, at least we all stayed to congratulate you both." He said, and Greg nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, dad's right, we know how important this is to the both of you!" He said, before he gave a smile. "I have an idea. Why don't you both open up your wedding gifts!" He said, earning a small smile from the Delphox.

"I guess we could do that." She said, and we all headed over to a table to the side of the room which had presents stacked on it. Reaching the table, Fiona looked around at the many presents. "There certainly are a lot of gifts..." She said, and Liam smiled, reaching out and handing her a small box.

"Try opening this one first; The label says it's from... Greg." He said, and she took it carefully, turning it over in her hands a few times, before peeling away the white wrapping paper. After a few seconds, she pulled out a bulky looking camera, looking at it for a few seconds before looking up at Greg.

"A camera? Thank you!" She said, and he subconsciously scratched at the back of his head, giving an awkward smile.

"Yeah, I know. It's kind of a cheap gift; Certainly not as good as the gift Void said he was getting you. However, I figured it'd be good for your Honeymoon or something... That way, you'd be able to capture the memories. I even made sure to find one of those automatic picture cameras." He said, and she shook her head with a smile.

"No... It's perfect. Thank you!" She repeated, and she nodded in appreciation. Next, my mom stepped up, holding her purse.

"I might as well hand you this now, seeing as how it goes hand in hand with Greg's gift. It's from my husband and I; Sorry it isn't wrapped." She said, handing over a photo album.

"Hey, a photo album! No better place to keep our memories right?" Liam said, and Fiona nodded, holding the blank book close to her chest.

"Thank you..." She said, and my mom nodded.

"So... Speaking of Honeymoons, what are your plans?" She asked, and Fiona blinked, before shrugging.

"We're still not all that sure to be honest." She said, and mom smiled.

"Well, I've heard that Kalos is nice around this time of the year. I've also read that it's supposed to be a much sought out region for honeymooners!" She said, and Fiona looked thoughtful as she continued to unwrap presents.

"You know, that's not a bad idea... I was always kept at the pokemon lab. I'd love to see my home region; Maybe we could even explore it." She said, looking at Liam hopefully, and he smiled, nodding. Fiona smiled back, looking pleased, before going back to her task. Eventually, she came down to two remaining presents. Picking up one of them, she looked at the tag, before looking up at me. "This one says it's from Void..." She said, giving me a smile, before beginning to unwrap it. Clearing my throat, I got her attention.

"Wait. Do you think you could open that one up last?" I asked, and she blinked, looking at me in confusion for a few seconds, before nodding; Setting the box down to the side. Reaching over, she picked up the other gift; A card of sorts. Opening it, she held up two small slips of paper, before reading the card.

" _Congratulations on getting married. Here's to wishing you both the best of luck in your future together. Contained in this card are two vouchers to the Blissey Spa, which hopefully you could use to relax after all the stress and planning."_ She read, before looking up at Greg's brother. "From Peter..." She finished, before giving him a smile. "Thank you!" She said, and he nodded embarrassedly.

"No problem. I understand that weddings can be very stressful to plan, so I figured the chance to relax would be great for you both. The best part is that I believe that there is a Blissey Spa in every region, so you could even go when on your Honeymoon!" He said, and Liam stepped forward, holding out his hand and shaking Peter's.

"Thank you..." He said, and Peter just nodded. After a few seconds, Fiona grabbed the box that contained the gift I had gotten them.

"Well, last gift!" She said, and I smiled, nodding, and she began opening the box. As she finally got the wrapping off of the box, she raised an eyebrow when she saw the Chimecho Jewelers symbol, but she continued on. When she lifted the lid and removed the tissue paper, her eyes widened. "T-these are..." She began, before she looked at me in shock.

"What is it, Fiona?" Liam asked, and she slowly reached into the box, pulling out one of the silver, Fire Stone studded lockets, and holding it up to the light, causing everyone to go silent. Greg sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Told you the camera couldn't compare to the gift Void got you..." He said, and I looked around sheepishly. Walking up to Fiona, Liam gently took the locket out of her hands and turned it around in his, before looking at me in shock.

"A-Arceus, Void! This looks like it was really expensive; Tell me you didn't spend too much!" He said, and I looked away.

"Hey... It was part of a set, so there's a matching one for each of you..." I said, and Fiona blinked, before reaching into the box and slowly pulling out the second one. After a few seconds, she pulled me into a hug. Shocked by the suddenness of it, I awkwardly hugged her back.

"T-thank you, but you really didn't have to spend that much money on a gift." She said, taking a step back; Her eyes still glued to the locket in her hand.

"Don't worry about it. I think of you both as close friends, so when I saw those lockets, the price didn't matter. And hey, completely unintended, but they match your rings! Cool idea with the Fire Stones by the way!" I said, and she smiled.

"T-thank you." She said, and I nodded. After a few seconds Greg's brother sighed.

"Well, now that the wedding is over, I should get back to my hotel room and start packing. I'm heading back to Unova tomorrow." He said, turning to look at Liam and Fiona; Sticking his hand out and shaking hands with them. "It was a pleasure to meet you, and I wish you both the best of luck." He said, gaining a smile from them, before turning towards the mahogany doors, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Greg said, and Peter paused, looking back at him curiously. "Do you think I can come too?" He asked, and Peter shrugged.

"Sure, why not? It will give me a chance to get caught up on everything I've missed." He said, before turning to the man that Greg had called dad. "Hey dad. Do you want to come too? I haven't really seen you in years!" He said, and the man sighed.

"You know, I really would love to, but I should stay behind and help clean up..." He said, and Liam shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Scott; You go catch up, he is in the region until tomorrow, after all." He said, and Scott looked at him in surprise.

"Are you sure? If you you need me to help clean up, I-" He began, but Liam cut him off.

"It's fine. Go and be with your sons." He said, and after a few seconds, the man nodded, giving Liam a thankful look.

"Thank you Liam, and congratulations again on the marriage!" He said, before leaving with Greg and Peter. After a few minutes, my parents stretched.

"Well, we should head out as well." She said, and Fiona blinked.

"Really? Why is everyone leaving so soon." She asked, and mom gave her a comforting smile.

"I'm afraid so. We left the door unlocked at home; And while I doubt anyone would break in, I'd rather be safe than sorry. However, if you guys ever want to get together and talk, we live nearby in Emeragrove." She said, and Fiona nodded. Before leaving, mom and dad stopped in front of me. "Make sure you be careful out there, ok? I get that you have Abby and the others with you, but... Just be careful." Mom said; Looking worried. Giving her a hug, I nodded.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." I said, and she sighed, hugging back. After a few seconds, dad gave me a hug too.

"Hey Void, you're going to Eterna City next, aren't you?" He asked, and I nodded, looking at him in curiosity.

"Yeah, that's right. Why?" I asked, and he just smiled.

"No reason, you're just going to have quite the surprise when you get to the Eterna Gym, that's all." He said, and I looked at him in confusion. "Anyways, good luck out there." He said, before they both walked through the large mahogany doors leading out of the sanctuary. I stood there in silence for a few seconds, before Father Christopher stood up. Sighing, Liam gave him a smile.

"I take it you're heading out as well?" He asked, and the priest nodded.

"I'm sorry. I wouldn't mind staying a bit longer, but I should really get back in case I'm needed." He said, and Liam smiled, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it, Chris; I understand. Thanks for coming on such short notice like you did." He said, and Father Christopher nodded.

"No problem. You needed some help, and I didn't mind helping out." He said, before getting ready to head out. "Congratulations by the way." He said, before walking out the door. After a few seconds, Liam turned towards us.

"I suppose you're heading out too?" He asked, and I paused for a few seconds, before shaking my head.

"Not really, unless you want us to. We're not really in any hurry." I said, and he smiled, nodding.

"Great!" Fiona said, and I smiled. After a minute of silence, she cleared her throat. "So... Liam said that Lady Mew was with you. Was he telling the truth?" She asked, and Liam sighed.

"Why would I lie?" He asked, and she frowned.

"I-I don't know, but Lady Mew would never come to just anyone's wedding; She'd be far to busy, and even if she wasn't busy, why would she come to _this_ wedding over all the others?" She asked, looking at him. Taking this time, Christa managed to get the jacket pocket opened, and rested her arms on the outside of it. Sighing, Fiona turned back towards me. "Anyways, he was lying, wasn't h-" She began, before noticing Christa looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "L-Lady Mew!" She gasped, before quickly bowing. Christa frowned, before wiggling out of the pocket.

"Please... Just call me Christa; And there's no need for bowing..." She said, looking uncomfortable. Fiona straightened up, looking at her in shock.

"B-but... You're our creator! Shouldn't we show you that respect?" She asked, looking at her in awe, and Christa sighed.

"That may be true, but all I really want is to be treated like I was normal..." She said, and Fiona frowned, before nodding in understanding.

"So L- I mean... Christa... What are you doing here?" She asked, and Christa blinked.

"What, am I not supposed to be able to go to weddings?" She asked, and Fiona's eyes widened.

"N-no! I-I mean... Sure you can go anywhere you want! W-what I'm trying to say is, I thought you'd be in the Hall of Origin with Lady Arceus." She said, stumbling over her words, and Christa looked amused for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Calm down, it's ok; Just talk like you normally would. Anyways, no, I haven't been in the Hall of Origin helping Arceus with anything since she created me. I've generally been traveling the world. However, to answer your previous question, I've been tasked with protecting Void, so I go wherever he does." She said, and Fiona nodded, before looking nervous.

"H-hey... Christa?" She asked, and Christa looked at her curiously. "W-we still haven't gotten our wedding picture, and I was wondering... I-if it's not a problem, I'd be honoured if you'd be in the picture too. Would you?" She asked, looking hopeful, and Christa frowned slightly.

"Oh... I-I don't know. I mean, I generally try to stay out of pictures as much as I can, but... I guess..." She said, and Fiona looked excited; Getting the camera and handing it to me, before running over to Liam. Blinking at the suddenness of all of this, I shrugged, before raising the camera and looking through the view finder. Christa awkwardly floated behind them, visible between their heads. Bringing everyone into focus, I waited a few seconds, before pressing the shutter button, and a second later, the picture was dispensed. Waving the picture to get it to show up, I handed it to Fiona before setting the camera down. "So... Was that what you wanted?" Christa asked, and Fiona smiled, nodding.

"Yes, it's perfect!" She said, looking like she was about to bow, before catching herself, giving an apologetic look. After a minute or two, I turned to Liam; Who was looking at the photograph with a smile.

"Hey, Liam?" I asked, and he looked at me questioningly. "Do you happen to have any Luxury Balls?" I asked, and he looked thoughtful for a few seconds.

"Not on me, but I do at the office." He said, and I sighed.

"Never mind..." I said, and he looked at me curiously.

"Why? Do you need one?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, but it's ok, I can wait." I said, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Really? We could all go to the office. Fiona and I have to stop there anyways, so it wouldn't be a problem." He said, and I frowned.

"Are you sure?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Positive; Come on." He said, and I shrugged, following after him and Fiona; Abby and the others following close behind.

"Void?" Christa asked, looking nervous, and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, it's not for you. I was planning on getting one for Snow since we're in Hearthome." I said, and she looked slightly relieved, before looking thoughtful.

"Hey... Do you still have that Master Ball?" She asked, and I frowned, looking at her closely, before shaking my head.

"No. I got rid of it. Why? Have you been thinking about what I suggested earlier?" I asked, and she sighed.

"I have... My main fear with pokéballs is that I'd be kept in it and lose my freedom. However, you said that I wouldn't have to stay in it, and I could go at any time?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Of course. I didn't make the suggestion with 'catching' you in mind. I only made the suggestion so that you could rest easy and know that no one could throw a pokéball and capture you. Also, if you got hurt to the point where you couldn't heal yourself, pokéballs have a stasis mode to keep you safe until you get to a pokécenter. Remember what I told you before at the park? How I consider everyone on the team as friends and family?" I asked, and she nodded. "Well I don't keep friends and family trapped in pokéballs, and I consider you a very close friend. You have nothing to worry about, I promise." I said, and she looked at me thoughtfully, before nodding.

"Then I don't really see a problem with it if I'm still able to keep my freedom." She said, and I smiled.

"Alright, well let's go get you a pokéball if you're sure!" I said, stopping and opening my pocket so she could have somewhere to keep out of sight as we neared the church's exit. When she was settled, I quickly caught up to the others as we all made our way to the 'Build a Ball' workshop.

 **Hello everybody, I hope you all enjoyed the long awaited wedding chapter, and I hope it lived up to expectation. Like I said at the beginning of this chapter, I have never been to a wedding before, so I have no idea if it was realistic. The speech that the priest gave, I had to look that up, and I eventually found it on Yahoo answers... So here's to hoping the information was correct.**

 **~spudbud16**


	33. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 _Void's POV_

Walking out the church doors, I quickly caught up to the newly married couple with Christa safely hiding in my sweater pocket. As we walked, people passing us by on the streets looked at Liam and Fiona; Some with smiles, and others with scowls of disapproval. Liam just shrugged it off, giving Fiona a calming smile, as the looks seemed to be getting to her. Walking in silence for a few seconds, I decided to try and break the silence. "So... How does it feel now that you're married?" I asked, and they both smiled.

"It feels great!" Fiona said, before sighing. "I just wish people wouldn't look at us in disgust." She said, and Liam sighed.

"That's something that will just take time. I know this will sound cheesy, but they just don't understand. Some people accept what they don't understand, but others can't; The most we can do is just accept that not everyone will like us." He said, and she nodded.

"I know, but it still hurts when they look at us like that." She said quietly, before shaking her head sadly. Once again walking in silence, we eventually reached the Build a Ball Workshop. Upon entering the front doors, the blonde haired receptionist from before absentmindedly smiled; Engrossed in some papers on the front counter.

"Welcome to Build a Ball Workshop, how can I help you?" She asked, before looking up, her eyes widening slightly when she saw Liam. "Mr. Cruso! Sorry, I was just going over the sales." She said, before noticing his suit and Fiona's dress. "O-oh! Congratulations!" She said, and Liam smiled.

"Thank you Amber. Hey, why don't you take the rest of the day off?" He suggested, and she looked at him in confusion.

"But sir, it's Monday, the start of the week day. Are you sure?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I was planning on closing up shop for the day anyways, so go ahead, it's fine." He said, and she nodded in understanding.

"Uh... Yes Mr. Cruso; Thank you." She said, grabbing her things, before walking towards the door. Turning to look back at him, she smiled awkwardly. "Once again... Congratulations on your marriage." She said, looking slightly uncomfortable, before leaving. Following Liam and Fiona to the elevator, I frowned slightly.

"Why did she look so uncomfortable?" I asked, and Fiona sighed; The elevator doors closing behind us.

"You mean Ms. Amber? She's not really very comfortable with these types of relationships. Though she doesn't make much of a fuss about them, it's still easy to see." She said, and Liam nodded.

"The fact that she doesn't make a fuss about it is one of the reasons I hired her." He said, and I looked at him in confusion. "When I hired her, I was well aware of her views on pokemon human relationships. I knew she didn't feel comfortable when she found out about us, but like Fiona said, she always seems to be accepting of us; And it doesn't seem like she was just acting so as to not upset Fiona or I; She honestly seems to be that accepting." He said, and I nodded. After a few seconds, the elevator doors opened with a hiss, and we stepped out into his office. Walking over to his desk, he opened a drawer, pulling out some Luxury Balls. "So, how many pokéballs did you need, anyways? If you tell me what you want, I could even get them customized for you." He said, and I shook my head.

"Just two, and you don't have to worry about customizations; You just got married, you should be spending time together." I said, looking between them, and he just smiled.

"Hey, don't worry, it wouldn't take that long." He said, and I sighed.

"Ok, but only one needs to be customized, and it should be white and blue." I said, and he looked around, his gaze falling on Snow.

"And that's for her?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Safety precautions; I have a feeling we may have a run in of sorts, and I'd rather make sure Snow is safe." I said, and he looked at me for a few seconds, before nodding.

"And who is the other one for?" He asked, and I stayed quiet for a few seconds, before sighing and opening my mouth. However, before I could say anything, Christa slowly raised her head, before floating out of my pocket.

"...It's for me." She said, and the whole room went silent. After a minute or two, Fiona spoke up.

"W-what? Why would you want to be put into a pokéball?" She asked, and Liam nodded.

"Yeah, aren't you the creator of pokemon? Why would you give up your freedom like that?" He asked, and Christa sighed.

"I wouldn't be giving up my freedom." She said, and he looked at her in confusion.

"How is that not giving up freedom?" He asked.

"She is free to go whenever she wants. I'm not doing this to capture her; It's just..." I trailed off, sighing. Liam looked at me for a few seconds, before realization crossed his face.

"It has to do with this run in you mentioned before, doesn't it?" He asked, and I stayed quiet for a minute. Looking at Christa and receiving a nod, I sighed, giving a nod.

"That's right... You remember Team Lotus, right?" I asked, and he looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before nodding.

"That group against pokemon human relationships, right?" He asked, and I sighed.

"They've become more than that, but yes." I said, before taking a few seconds to collect my thoughts. "They are following us, and they've been seen around here." I said, and his eyes widened.

"What?! Why are they even following you? I get that with their views, they probably wouldn't like you very much, but don't you think that's going a bit too far?" He asked, and before I could answer, Snow stepped forward.

"They're not after Void; Well not exactly." She said, before continuing when she saw his confusion. "They're after the legendaries; The ones who can control time, space, land, and water, as well as those who created pokemon and people. They know Christa is with Void, and that means they will follow after him to get to her." She said, and Liam shook his head.

"Why are they after the legendaries?" He asked, and she sighed.

"I don't know the whole plan, but I do know that they plan on somehow using the legendaries to create a new world free of pokephilia." She said, and Liam looked at her incredulously.

"How could you ever work for someone who wants to destroy the world?!" He asked, and Snow looked defensive, looking him right in the eyes.

"Hey! May I remind you that not everyone has the same views on these kinds of relationships? I may understand it more than I did before, but I'm still not a hundred percent onboard. And anyways, Team Lotus were the only people I knew; I was literally raised into that life. I didn't have the luxury of free will and speech." She said, and Liam frowned slightly.

"Ok, enough talk about the past, let's just focus on the present." I said, and Liam nodded.

"So how is putting Christa in a pokéball going to change anything?" He asked, and I sighed.

"We have no idea how they are going to try and get Christa. This would eliminate the risk of them trying to capture her with pokéballs. Like I explained to her, she doesn't have to stay in it, and if she ever decides she wants to leave, I won't stop her. Anyways, the final decision wasn't up to me. I only made the suggestion and asked that she thought about it." I said, and he looked at her in surprise. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

"Void is right. I might not like pokéballs; Hell, they downright terrify me, but he does have a point. Team Lotus is after me, and the less I have to worry about, the better. If Void says I won't be kept in the pokéball, I believe him. I'd much rather it be someone I can trust than a random person throwing a stray pokéball." She said, and Liam sighed.

"Well, it goes against every fiber of my being to enable someone to catch a legendary pokemon, but here..." He said, warily turning towards me and handing me the Luxury Ball. "I guess... I'll go get this other one designed." He said, before turning around and walking towards the elevator. Stepping inside when the doors opened, he left us all in silence. After a few seconds, I looked at Fiona.

"I'm sorry about this; I know you'd much rather be spending time with Liam right now." I said, and she shook her head slightly, giving me a calming smile.

"Don't worry about it, we'll have plenty of time to spend together. If Team Lotus is really causing as much trouble as you say they are, that takes priority right now; Especially if you need to keep Christa safe." She said, before sitting down on a sofa. A few minutes later, she stood up once again.

"Well, I'm about to make something to eat for when Liam gets back. Do you want to stay for lunch?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"No, that's ok. We're going to head out when he gets back." I said, and she nodded in understanding.

"Would you like some help?" Abby asked, and Fiona looked back at her, giving her a smile.

"Sure. If you'd really like to help, I would appreciate it." She said, before turning back towards the kitchen. Giving me a smile, Abby followed after her. After a few seconds, Christa sighed.

"Void... I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be. Now that you have the pokéball, let's just get it over with." She said, looking away nervously. Frowning slightly, my grip tightened around the black, red, and yellow sphere.

"Actually..." I said, and she opened her eyes, looking at me in confusion.

"Actually? What is that supposed to mean? This wasn't an easy choice for me to make. Don't tell me you made me make a decision like this and then turn around and not go through with it!" She said, and I shook my head.

"No, that's not it. It's Just... Liam was nice enough to supply the Luxury Ball even with his misgivings. I just think it would be better if we waited until we left here and got to the pokécenter." I said, and she sighed.

"Ok, I guess that'll work." She said, and I nodded. Sitting down on the sofa and waiting for Liam, I noticed Snow looking nervous. Frowning, I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Snow, is everything ok? You seem like you have something on your mind." I said, and she hesitated for a minute, before sighing.

"Void... I don't know about getting a pokéball." She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? I guess you don't have to have a pokéball if you don't want one, but may I ask why?" I asked, and she sighed.

"Truthfully, I wouldn't mind having one. If I did have a pokéball, it would mean that I truly was a part of this team..." She said, and I blinked, feeling even more confused.

"So, let me get this straight. You don't want a pokéball... Yet you still want one?" I asked, and she frowned.

"Let me rephrase it. I would love to have my own pokéball, but I don't think it's a good idea." She said, and I looked at her, not understanding what she was talking about.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" I asked, and she looked away.

"Having a pokéball means that you're part of a team, but that's just it; I don't really know if I _am_ part of your team." She said, and I sighed.

"Does this have anything to do with not feeling trusted?" I asked, and she looked away. Finally having enough, I gestured for her to follow me to a corner of the room, before calling Kazumi over as well.

"What is it, Void?" She asked, floating over to us, before giving Snow a sideways look. Seeing this, I looked at her seriously.

"Ok, that's enough!" I said, and she looked at me in surprise.

"W-what did I do?" She asked, and I looked her in the eyes.

"That sideways look you just gave Snow! I get that you don't trust her, but this needs to stop!" I said, and she looked at me in surprise for a few seconds, before looking defiant.

"Oh? And so you expect me to just trust her after what she did?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Listen, I can't force you to trust someone when you don't, but tell me, has she done anything warranting mistrust since joining the team?" I asked, and she frowned, looking away.

"No... But it's only a matter of time!" She said, and Snow sighed, causing us to both look at her in confusion as her gaze hardened.

"Do you honestly think I want anything to do with Team Lotus anymore? After they beat me half to death? Do you really think I would do anything to ruin the only chance I've ever had at a good life where I don't have to worry about being starved and beaten?!" She snapped, and Kazumi looked at her in shock at her sudden outburst. "I have been trying to live down my past, and so far, you're the only one that won't let me! Whatever I specifically did to you to make you hate me so much, I'd honestly like to know!" She said, and Kazumi looked at her in anger.

"What you did?! You almost killed Christa!" She said, and Snow's eyes widened in realization, before she shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you telling me that's why you hate me so much? I wasn't even the one that went after her; That was my partner, and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that he is one less threat for you to worry about." She said, and Kazumi looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, and Snow frowned slightly.

"Think about it, if failing to get rid of Void caused them to leave me for dead, what would failing to capture Christa cause them to do? I didn't stick around for very long, but I'm pretty sure he was killed. Team Lotus wouldn't have let him get away with failing a mission like that." She said, and Kazumi nodded, before looking away. Falling silent for a few seconds, Snow sighed. "Listen, Kazumi, I'm not asking you to trust me, but could you at least stop assuming that I'm going to cause trouble? Like I said before, this is the one and only chance I'll ever get at a good life; I wouldn't do anything to ruin it." She said, and I gave Kazumi a look. Frowning for a few seconds, she sighed.

"Well, you haven't really done anything bad lately, and Christa seems to have forgiven you, so I guess so... Though don't go thinking this means I trust you! The only reason I'm even considering this is because of what you said to Fiona earlier." She said, and Snow smiled and nodded.

"I understand; It's certainly a start. Thank you." She said, and Kazumi pointedly looked away.

"Right... Can I go now?" She asked, and I looked between her and Snow for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Yeah, go ahead, but I hope you were being serious when you said you'd give Snow a chance." I said, and she turned to go, before pausing.

"I was." She said, before floating off towards Christa. Turning back towards Snow, I saw that she seemed to have a small smile on her face.

"So, what was she talking about? What did you say to Fiona earlier?" I asked, and she looked back at me.

"She was worried about what people may think of Liam and her. I told her that she shouldn't let them bother her; That if she truly loved him, that's all that really matters." She said, and I smiled at her.

"That was some really good advice." I said, and she looked away. "Listen, Snow. Even if not everyone may trust you, that doesn't make you any less a part of this team, ok? Just remember that." I said, and she smiled slightly, nodding. Sitting down and waiting for Liam to return, we sat in silence, the smell of food wafting in from the kitchen. After about ten minutes, the elevator pinged, signalling that someone was on there way up. A few seconds later, the doors opened, and Liam stepped out, holding a blue and white Luxury Ball. Looking around, he sniffed the air.

"Well, something certainly smells good!" He said, before taking off his shoes and leaving them at the door, before walking over.

"Yeah, Fiona wanted to make something, and Abby offered to help." I said, right as Fiona peeked her head around the entrance to the kitchen.

"It's cooling now. We threw together some Oran and Pinap Berry stew; It should be ready in a few minutes." She said, and Liam nodded.

"Does this mean you're all staying for dinner?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm afraid not. We have to get going back to the pokécenter. While it certainly does smell good, we'll have to settle for the food at the pokécenter." I said, and Fiona shook her head.

"There's no need for that; Abby and I made extra for you all to take with you, so you'll get to enjoy it too." She said, and I smiled.

"Aw, well thank you!" I said, and she smiled back. Turning back towards Liam, I noticed that he was looking at Christa. Noticing that I was looking at him, he sighed.

"So, I take it you already used the Luxury Ball on Christa?" He asked, and I once again shook my head, and he looked at me in confusion.

"No, not yet. I get that you don't like the idea of putting Christa in a pokéball, so we decided to wait until we get back to the pokécenter. It's the least we could after you gave us the Luxury Ball." I said, and he looked slightly relieved.

"Thank you. I get that Christa made the decision, but I'm still not comfortable with the idea of catching legendaries." He said, before jumping slightly as if remembering something. "Oh, before I forget, here." He said, dropping the Luxury Ball designed for Snow in my hand. "I hope you don't mind, but I had it customized a little more than what you had first suggested." He said, and indeed, it was. Besides being painted blue and white, there was what looked to be a golden snowflake etched into the front around the button, as well as her name carved into it in gold lettering. Looking up at Liam, I smiled.

"Thank you! I'm sure she'll like it!" I said, before sighing and stretching. "Well, we should get going now, we have a long trip tomorrow." I said, and he nodded in understanding.

"Where are you heading to next?" He asked, and I thought for a few seconds.

"I was thinking about heading for Eterna City next; That way we could try for the next badge." I said, as everyone began to get ready to go; Abby slowly walking out of the kitchen, carrying a wrapped container of stew.

"Yeah, that is a bit far from here. Well, thanks again for coming to our wedding." He said, and I smiled and shook my head.

"Hey, don't mention it. Congratulations again, by the way." I said, as we headed for the elevator. "And thanks for inviting us." I said, stepping into the elevator when the doors opened, Abby and the others following.

"Hey Void, I know you've probably been told this already, but be careful with Team Lotus. If they are going after the legendaries, they're either not really smart, or extremely sure of their abilities. Going with the latter, they're not really someone you can avoid forever. Just be careful." He said, and I looked back at him seriously, before nodding.

"We will; Thank you." I said, before pushing the lobby button, causing the doors to slide closed, and the elevator to descend. As we stood and waited to reach the lobby, I looked at Christa, who was looking nervous. "Nervous about the pokéball again?" I asked, and she looked surprised for a few seconds, before sighing.

"I convinced myself before that it was for the best, and I finally felt like I was ready. Now that I have to wait, my mind is going wild with fear again." She said, and I nodded understandingly.

"Hey Christa, there's nothing to really fear; Take it from someone whose been in a pokéball before. It's not really that bad." Abby said, shifting her grip on the container in her hands, and Christa frowned.

"Right... So what's it like?" She asked, and Abby looked at her in confusion.

"What, inside a Luxury Ball?" She asked, and Christa nodded. "Well, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I could see the sky, and there were trees all around. It was like I wasn't even in a pokéball." She said, and Christa blinked.

"So you're telling me it was like you were outside?" She asked, looking thoughtful. Mitsuki, who was standing next to Snow nodded in agreement.

"I can back up that statement. When I was in mine, it was as if I was in a fielded area. It certainly felt like I was really there." She said, and Christa nodded.

"Hm... Well, I guess I'll just have to see for myself." She said, as the elevator came to a halt; The doors opening a few seconds later. Stepping out into the empty lobby, I looked at Christa.

"Well, are you ready for the last time you'll have to hide in my sweater pocket?" I asked, holding it open, and she sighed, floating over.

"Yes... I guess so. At least one good thing will come from the Luxury Ball." She said, squeezing into the pocket with an annoyed huff. "I won't have to ride in this cramped place ever again!" She said, and I chuckled and nodded, before opening the door and stepping into the cool afternoon air. Quickly sending my senses out, we began walking again, heading for the pokécenter.

 **Hello everybody, here's chapter 30; I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **~spudbud16**


	34. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 _Void's POV_

Exiting the 'Build a Ball' workshop, I looked around. Not seeing anyone in the slowly darkening streets, I slowed down, closing my eyes and activating my Aura Sense. Not sensing any dark auras, I blinked open my eyes, looking at Abby. Picking up on the meaning of the look, she closed her eyes, the sensors on the back of her head rising as she activated her own Aura Sense. After a few seconds, her eyes opened, and she slowly shook her head.

"I don't sense any negative auras..." She said, though she still seemed worried. Sensing that she was on edge, Christa shifted around in my sweatshirt pocket, before poking her head out.

"Isn't that a good thing? Why are you worried if they aren't around?" She asked, and Abby frowned.

"Yes, that would be a good thing. However, they could still be hiding their aura somehow. Like I said before, there are ways to hide one's aura." She said, and Snow frowned, before sniffing the ground and air.

"If it makes you feel any better, their scent is old; They haven't been here in at least an hour or two." She said, and Abby nodded, but still didn't look convinced. Seeing this, Christa shimmied out of my pocket and sighed, sticking close to me.

"Well, if it'll help, I could always try to teleport us to the Pokécenter..." She said, looking thoughtful, and I looked at her in surprise.

"Wait... You can do that?" I asked, and she nodded, though she looked nervous.

"Sure I can... Though I've never had to focus on so many others." She said, and I thought for a few seconds.

"How many do you think you could focus on?" I asked, and she continued to think.

"Well... including myself, the most I've ever managed was four at a time during a small forest fire beginning to spread a few years ago." She said, and I frowned slightly, looking around at the group.

"Is there any way you might be able to teleport all of us?" I asked, and Christa looked at all of us with a hesitant look.

"I-I... I can try?" She said, not sounding too sure. Opening my mouth to say something, Abby tapped my shoulder, and I turned to look at her.

"Why don't you just return us to our pokéballs? You could let us back out when we get to the Pokécenter." She said, and I looked at her in surprise.

"She's right. If it helps, just put us in our pokéballs for right now." Mitsuki said, and I looked around, getting nods from the others. Nodding, I began to unclip the pokéballs from my belt.

"If that's really alright with you all, I guess that would be ok." I said, before sending Abby, Mitsuki, Rose, and Kazumi back to their pokéballs, leaving Hikage and Snow. Giving me a look of confusion, Snow frowned slightly.

"What about me? Why didn't you put me in my new pokéball?" She asked, and I gave her a smile.

"Well, just like Christa, I wanted to wait until we got back to the Pokécenter before I sent you to your pokéball." I said, and she blinked, before nodding in understanding. After clipping the pokéballs back to my belt, I turned to Christa. "So, what do we have to do?" I asked Christa, and she looked guilty about having the others have to be in their pokéballs for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Just... Stand next to me. I'm able to teleport anyone who is in contact with me, as well as anyone who is in contact with them." She said, and I nodded, before picking up Hikage, who immediately began squirming to get out of my grip, before walking over to her; Snow doing the same. Floating down low enough that she could place one paw on Snow, and one paw on me, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breathe. "Ok, get ready; The first time is always a bit disorientating!" She said, before my vision went dark, and everything felt weightless.

Nurse Joy, who had been studying some records while sitting at her desk was startled by what sounded like a sudden pop as we suddenly materialized in her lobby. Surprised, she jumped, falling back in her chair. "W-WHAT THE... VOID?!" She exclaimed, getting up and peeking over the desk at us.

"Arceus, that was weird!" I said, rubbing my eyes as my vision returned, before looking around and noticing the nurse. "Oh, hey Nurse Joy." I said, and she looked at me incredulously.

"W-what... What was that? What just happened?!" She asked, looking confused.

"Oh! It was getting dark, and Abby was worried about Team Lotus, so Christa teleported us here." I said, and she blinked.

"Christa?" She asked, looking at the Mew as if just now noticing her. "Y-you're a Mew? Wait never mind that, are you ok?" She asked, and I looked at Christa, just now noticing how exhausted she looked.

" _A_ Mew? You say that as if there are more than one... And I'm fine... Just a little worn out from that teleport." She panted slightly, and I couldn't help but feel bad for her.

"Nonsense!" Nurse Joy said loudly, and Christa looked at her in surprise. "You look like you're going to keel over at any moment! Here, eat this." She said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a small red and yellow berry and holding it out. "It's a Leppa Berry, it should restore some of your energy." She said, and Christa slowly and carefully floated over and took the berry, biting into it. The effects were almost immediate, and a few seconds after the berry was gone, she didn't look as tired out.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Christa said, and the Nurse just smiled, before turning her eyes to me.

"So, did you need anything?" She asked, and I jolted slightly, getting back to the task at hand.

"Right! Can we get two rooms for the night?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Certainly!" She said, turning around and grabbing the keys as I set Hikage down and took out the pokéballs and began releasing everybody. After putting the pokéballs away, I took the keys from Nurse Joy, thanking her, before beginning to head upstairs, Abby and the others following. When we got to the rooms, I handed one of the keys to Mitsuki, before looking at Snow and Christa.

"Snow, Christa, could you come with me and Abby?" I asked, and they nodded, following as I unlocked mine and Abby's room. Holding the door open for them, I closed it once they were inside, before turning to look at them.

"So, now that we're at the Pokécenter, are you ready to get a pokéball?" I asked, looking between the Absol and Mew. Snow looked excited, while Christa looked away, looking nervous. Seeing this, I turned towards Snow. "Would you like to go first?" I asked, and she nodded, stepping forward. Giving her a smile, I put on one of my gloves, before grabbing her pokéball. Holding it up, I looked at her curiously. "Are you sure you're ok with this? Is this really something you want?" I asked, and she nodded once again.

"Of course! This is my chance to finally actually be on a team!" She said, and I looked at her, before sighing.

"I hope you know that even without a pokéball, you are still part of this team; But if you're sure about it, and it's something you want..." I said, holding the pokéball out in front of me and in front of Snow. Getting the message, she raised a paw, tapping the ball and causing a red light to shoot forwards and engulf her body, pulling her into the Luxury Ball. After rocking for a few seconds, the ball fell still, giving a click to signal that she was successfully inside. Smiling, I raised the pokéball and pressed the button in the center, releasing another burst of red light, causing Snow to once again appear outside. When she fully appeared, I gave her a smile. "Well, even though you were already a part of the team, I guess this makes it official." I said, and she looked happy.

"Right! Thank you Void; I can't wait to tell Mitsuki!" She said, and I chuckled, opening the door for her.

"Well, make sure you let her and the others know that you all should get a lot of sleep tonight, as we will be heading for Eterna City in the morning after breakfast." I said, and she nodded, heading for the others' room with a smile still on her face. Closing the door behind her, I turned towards Christa, who had been watching quietly, looking nervous. "Now... What about you, Christa?" I asked. "I told you earlier that all of this was up to you. Do you want your pokéball?" I asked, and she frowned for a few seconds, before sighing.

"Honestly, I want nothing to do with pokéballs. I'd rather be able to be free." She said, and I nodded in understanding.

"Well, you don't _have_ to have a pokéball if you don't want one." I said, and she scoffed slightly, giving a frown.

"And have to hide in your pocket all the time?" She asked, before sighing. "No; You were right before when you said it would be safer to have a pokéball; And I guess it'd be better if it was someone who I know. So no matter how much I hate them, I'm as ready as I'll ever be, so just use the pokéball already!" She said, looking away. Blinking, I reached into my backpack and grabbed the Luxury Ball that Liam had given me. Seeing this, she scrunched up her eyes, her ears laying back. Watching her for a few seconds, I got an idea. Seeing that her eyes were closed, I quietly took off my glove, getting a look of confusion from Abby. Giving her a smile, I once again turned towards Christa.

"Are you ready?" I asked, and she sighed.

"N-not really, but go ahead anyways!" She said, and I nodded even though she couldn't see me, before gently tapping it against her head, causing the red beam of light to surround her and pull her in. After a few seconds, a familiar pop and spark came from the ball in my hand as it detected my half Lucario DNA and pulled me in as well. When my eyes adjusted to the change of environment, I saw Christa floating a few feet in front of me, her eyes tightly shut. "D-did you do it yet?" She asked, and I smiled.

"Why don't you open your eyes and look?" I asked, and her ears twitched, yet she kept her eyes closed.

"Void?" She asked, before frowning. "Can't you just tell me if I'm in the pokéball or not?" She asked, and I sighed.

"We're in the Luxury Ball, yes, but just trust me and open your eyes, you'll be amazed by what you see." I said, and for a few seconds, it looked like her fear would win over, but a couple seconds later, she sighed, deciding to trust me. Cracking an eye, she looked around, before her eyes widened in surprise, looking around at the wooded area we were in. Looking at me in shock, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out for a few seconds, before she finally managed to speak.

"Void... This..."

"Is awesome?" I asked, finishing her sentence, and she blinked.

"Well, yes, but this looks exactly like where I used to take refuge..." She said, looking around with what appeared to be a look of nostalgia.

"Really?" I asked, and she nodded.

"In fact, this looks exactly like the tree I made my home in." She said, and I looked at her in confusion, noticing a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and she sighed, floating back over to me.

"This place doesn't really exist anymore; At least, not in the same way." She said, and I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and she frowned.

"Well, as time went by, humans expanded their towns and cities. Eventually, they expanded into the woods, and a lot of pokemon were forced to flee, including me..." She said, once again looking at the tree in sadness. Feeling bad for her, I opened my mouth to say something, but she changed the subject. "So... T-this is a pokéball? I wonder how they got this much detail." She said, and I looked at her for a few seconds. Able to tell that she didn't want to talk about the past, I nodded.

"Well, the Luxury Ball at least; I'm not sure about other kinds of pokéballs. As for how they did this, I don't really know. I guess the Luxury Ball projects a location that would be most comforting for the pokemon inside." I said, and she seemed to think for a few seconds, before nodding.

"I guess that makes sense." She said, continuing to look around. Seeing that she looked calm, I smiled.

"So... I take it that you being calm means that you aren't afraid anymore?" I asked, and she looked at me for a few seconds, before her eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered where exactly she really was.

"W-well, this one may be nice, but l-like I said before, I'd much rather be able to be free; Able to go wherever I want, whenever I want." She said, and I frowned.

"That's just it though. You already can do that. You're free to leave whenever you want. Remember, I told you I would never keep you against your will. If you ever decided you wanted to leave the group, you'd be free to do so, though we would miss you." I said, and she only looked at me for a minute in silence, before sighing and nodding.

"Thank you, Void; I appreciate that..." She said, looking around at the woods once again. After a few seconds, she looked back at me. "Do you mind if we get out of here now? I don't want to be in here longer than I have to." She said, and I nodded.

"Sure, hold on." I said, fiddling with the watch Liam gave me. After a minute, I found the release option and tapped it, causing a bright light to fill the area, forcing us to shut our eyes to avoid being blinded. When we next opened our eyes, we were once again in the Pokécenter; Abby looking at us curiously.

"How did it go?" She asked, and Christa looked away.

"I-I guess it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought..." She said, and Abby smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you at least didn't hate it." She said, continuing to look at us in curiosity. "So, what was it like? What was the area that you were in?" She asked, and Christa frowned for a few seconds, before sighing.

"...An old home." She said, before shaking her head. "Anyways, you don't mind if I head to the other room now, do you?" She asked, and I shook my head.

"Of course not. Make sure you all get plenty of sleep; We're heading out early to get to Eterna City." I said, and she nodded as I opened the door for her. After she left and headed back to the other room, Abby looked at me in confusion as I closed the door.

"What happened in there? She almost looked sad for a few seconds there. Did something happen?" She asked, and I sighed, taking off my sweater and hopping into bed.

"Like she said, we were in what must have been her old home." I said, and she continued to look at me in confusion.

"Wouldn't that be a good thing? So why did she look so sad?" She asked, and I frowned.

"Well, it would be a good thing... If that home was still around, and not replaced by a city or town. Christa said that she and other pokemon had to abandon it." I said, and Abby's ears laid back.

"Wow... that must have been difficult for her." She said, and I nodded.

"Yeah. I can't help but feel bad, but at least she doesn't have to worry about Team Lotus catching her with a pokéball anymore." I said, and Abby nodded.

"True, but it still feels weird that you put her in a pokéball. I know it's to keep her safe, but it still feels like something you shouldn't really do." She said, and I frowned.

"Hey, Christa's free to go whenever she wants. I'm not holding her against her will, and you know that." I said, and she nodded again.

"I know, it just feels so wrong..." She said, before changing the subject. "So, we're heading to Eterna City to take on the gym, right?" She asked, and I nodded, lying down on the bed, Abby right next to me.

"Yeah, with everything going on, I felt like a good gym battle would do us all some good." I said, and she smiled, looking as if she agreed.

"Well, I can't wait until we get there! So, what type of gym is it?" She asked, and I smiled back.

"I think it's a grass type gym, so we'll have to come up with a good battle plan." I said, and she snuggled up to me under the blankets.

"Well, knowing you, I'm sure you'll come up with something." She said, and I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close, before closing my eyes. Letting out a breath, she joined me, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

 _Snow's POV_

Opening my eyes, I looked around, my eyesight letting me see clearly even in the darkened room. Noticing that everyone was asleep, I sighed. Ever since I had gotten back from getting my pokéball, I had been wide awake; Too excited to get any sleep. Now, at two in the morning, it was no different. Careful not to wake Mitsuki, who was lying next to me with her arms lightly wrapped around me, I slowly slid my way out of her grip. Shaking out my fur once I was up, I quietly made my way towards the door. Balancing with my front paws against the door knob, I tried to open the door, only to slip. "Dammit!" I said, before my eyes widened, forgetting to be quiet.

"Snow?" A voice asked quietly from right behind me, causing me to turn around in surprise.

"Mitsuki? I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..." I said, and she frowned, her eyes looking bleary in her sleepiness.

"Yeah, I saw that when you got up. What are you even doing up this early? You said that Void told us to get some sleep." She said, and I blushed slightly, looking away.

"I-I'm sorry..." I repeated. "I'm just too excited to sleep! I'm finally officially part of a real team!" I said, before lowering my voice again. "Like I said though, I didn't mean to wake you up though, so if you could just open the door, I could go for a walk, and you could go back to sleep." I said, and upon my explanation, her gaze softened. Taking a last look at where we had been supposed to be sleeping, she sighed, before nodding; Seeming to have made up her mind.

"Right... Well come on, let's go." She said, opening the door and stepping out. Looking at her in confusion, I slowly followed her.

"What do you mean? What are you doing?" I asked, and she gave me a smile, closing the door behind us.

"Well, you said you wanted to walk; I assumed you could use some company. Plus, I did tell you in the cave that if you couldn't sleep, I'd keep you company." She said, and I blinked, smiling back. "Though I do wish it wasn't at two in the morning!" She continued, and my smile dropped.

"Yeah... Sorry again about that." I said, as we continued on our walk. Eventually, after walking through the hall and down the stairs, we reached the lobby. Reaching the bottom of the steps, Mitsuki tapped me, before pointing. Following her gaze, I saw Nurse Joy sitting at her desk, seeming to be looking at some papers. Looking at Mitsuki in confusion, I raised an eyebrow, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Weren't we supposed to ask Nurse Joy something? We'll be leaving early tomorrow, so now might be a good chance." She said, and I looked at her for a few seconds, before my eyes widened, and I blushed slightly, looking away. Seeing this, she sighed, rolling her eyes, though the calming smile on her face let me know she wasn't really annoyed. Giving me a nudge, she lead me to the front desk where the nurse was sitting. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy?" She asked, and the nurse looked up in confusion.

"Hm? Oh, hey... Snow and Mitsuki, right? What are you two doing up this early? Is something wrong?" She asked, and Mitsuki shook her head.

"Not exactly; I remember hearing how you and Naomi were together, and we could use some advice..." She said, and Nurse Joy blinked, looking between us for a few seconds, before looking surprised.

"Wait... You two are together?" She asked in interest, and Mitsuki nodded, while I looked away, my cheeks tinted red underneath my fur.

"Yes, we are, though we don't know exactly what to do. So far, we've only been able to cuddle... We really could use some advice." She said, and Nurse Joy looked slightly embarrassed.

"W-well, cuddling is a good start for a new couple... Though I guess you wouldn't have come to me if that was all you two wanted to do." She said, before taking a deep breath, a blush on her face. "W-well, there are quite a few ways you could pleasure each other. One of those ways... One of Naomi and I's favorite ways... Toys." She said hesitantly.

"Toys?" I asked, and she looked even more embarrassed.

"O-oh jeez..." She said, taking a calming breath. "Y-yes... I think we still have one that's still unopened…" She said, before walking into the room behind her. After a minute or two, she returned; A rectangular box in her hand. Placing it on the counter, she slid it to Mitsuki, who picked it up, only for her cheeks to go red. balancing on my back legs, I leaned against the counter to get a look. Displayed on the box was what appeared to be a scantily dressed female human and a Diglett. The Diglett appeared to be winking as the woman called for it to use dig. "You both could have that if you want... We have plenty." She said, her face a slight pink in color. Blushing as well, Mitsuki thanked her, placing the box under her arm, before looking curiously back at the nurse.

"You said there were other ways to pleasure each other as well?" She asked, and Nurse Joy hesitated, before nodding.

"R-right. You could always use your tongue..." She said awkwardly, and Mitsuki looked at her.

"Our tongue...?" She asked, and Nurse Joy nodded.

"Y-yes... While a toy like that can give one of you pleasure, if you both use your tongues on each other instead, you'll both get the pleasure you're looking for." She said. After a few moments, Mitsuki nodded.

"I see... Thank you for the advice, Nurse Joy." She said, before looking at her in confusion. "By the way, what are _you_ doing up so late? I get that Pokécenters are open all night, but I didn't think you'd be up _this_ early." She said, and Nurse Joy looked relieved at the change of topic.

"Oh, yesterday was a busy day. Every time someone comes in with an injured pokemon, I have to fill out paperwork and update records. I thought I'd try to get those done while things were quiet... Though I guess it is pretty early." She said, letting out a small yawn. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" She asked, and this time, I shook my head.

"No, that's ok Nurse Joy, sorry to bother you this early." I said, and she smiled.

"Oh, you didn't bother me, I was just a little caught off guard by the topic is all. Now, if there's nothing else I can help you with, I need to get this paperwork filled out." She said, and I nodded, walking with Mitsuki towards a sofa that was against the side wall. Sitting down, she let out a sigh of content, leaning back and relaxing.

"So, Snow, what do you want to do now?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet. Looking at her, I could see how tired she was; Her eyes looking heavy, and her breathing soft. Feeling bad about her having to keep me company, I just gave her a small smile.

"You know what? Why don't we just sit here for a bit?" I asked, and she looked at me for a few seconds, before shrugging.

"That's certainly fine with me, but didn't you want to walk around?" She asked, and I shrugged as well.

"That's alright, I'm fine. And technically, we already walked around for a bit." I said, before leaning against her. Smiling sleepily, she wrapped an arm around me. After staying like this for about half an hour, I sighed. "Well, are you ready to head back to the room?" I asked, only to be met with silence. Looking at Mitsuki in confusion, I realized that she was asleep; A small smile still on her face. Not wanting to wake her up a second time, I smiled as well, cuddling into her. Seeing us as she finished her paperwork, Nurse Joy quietly went into her back office for a few seconds, before returning with a blanket and laying it over us. Thanking her, she just smiled, wishing us a good night, before heading back into her back office and closing the door. The Lobby falling completely quiet, I rested my head on Mitsuki's side, before closing my eyes and slowly joining her in her sleep.


	35. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 **Hello everybody, before I begin with the chapter, I'd like to bring something up. I am currently writing three ongoing stories; 'Void's Odyssey', 'Crafting a New World', and 'A Birthday To Remember'. To the ones asking me to update 'Void's Odyssey' more, I'm sorry, but that is something I can't do. I have an order in which I update my stories, and I won't just stop work on one story just to update another. I like to put my full attention on one story at a time, that way I don't lose ideas. While I appreciate that you enjoy this story, I hope you can understand that I do have more than one story. Now that that is out of the way, on to the story!**

 _Void's POV_

Yawning, I stretched, releasing the cricks in my back with a few satisfying pops. Looking over to my left, I noticed Abby was still fast asleep, her eyes tightly closed, and her breathing soft. Letting my eyes drift over her, my gaze slowly settled on the spike on her chest. Staring at the spike and feeling curious about something, I slowly reached towards her, before gently touching the spike. Lightly prodding the tip with my thumb, I frowned, feeling how sharp it was. Trailing my fingers across the sides of it, Abby began to stir, letting out a small moan. Pausing for a few seconds, I continued; Abby moaning louder. After a few more seconds of feeling the seemingly metal spike, her eyes slowly began to open. Slightly disoriented at the feelings she was going through, she blinked, before finally noticing me.

"V-Void?!" She demanded, before jumping back, now fully awake. "W-what do you think you're doing?!" She asked, her cheeks going red.

"Huh?" I asked, blinking in confusion, before noticing how embarrassed she looked. Realizing that I just basically groped her in her sleep, my eyes widened, and I quickly began to apologize. "I-I'm sorry! I-I was just curious about something." I stammered, and she glared at me.

"So you decide to feel up my chest while I sleep?!" She asked, and I quickly shook my head.

"N-no! I... I was just curious about your chest spike..." I said, and she looked at me in confusion. "Of all the times we've done anything together, I've never felt it. With how sharp it is, I'm just confused how it's never caused any problems." I said, and she looked at me for a few seconds, before sighing, a blush still on her face.

"You could have just waited until I woke up and asked me..." She said, before sighing again. "Aura. I use Aura to create a sort of barrier around my chest spike while I'm not in a fight. That way, it doesn't cause any damage." She said, and I nodded understandingly.

"I see... Sorry by the way." I said, and she only nodded. After a few seconds, I began to get out of bed, looking at the bedside clock. "Well, now that we're both awake, do you want to get some breakfast? It's about time the others got up as well." I said, and she looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before nodding.

"I suppose I could go for something to eat..." She said, and I gave her a smile, opening the door and leading the way through the hallway, stopping at the others' door, before knocking.

"Hey, it's time to get up. After we eat breakfast, we'll be heading out." I called. Not hearing anything, I frowned, before knocking again.

"We've already woken up. Everyone's in the dining room already." A voice from our right said, and I turned, only to see Christa. "I was just on my way to wake you both up." She said, and I gave her a smile.

"Oh, good morning Christa." I said. "I actually want to talk to you about something. Have you eaten yet?" I asked, ands she shook her head.

"Not yet. What did you want to talk about?" She asked, and I gestured for her to follow us, as we headed towards the stairs leading down to the lobby, and in turn, the dining room.

"Come on, it can wait until after breakfast." I said, and she nodded understandingly, floating along next to us.

"So, we're heading for Eterna City next?" She asked, and I nodded. "Have you figured out who you'll send out for the gym battle yet? What about a strategy?" She asked, and I nodded again.

"Yes. I'm going to be sending out Snow, Mitsuki, and Abby." I said, gesturing to Abby. "I would have loved to include Rose, but she's made it clear she doesn't want to fight in the gym battles, and I don't want to force her. As for a strategy, no, not yet. I'll have to ask Rose if she'd at least be able to help us prepare a strategy, as she's apparently been to a lot of the gyms." I said.

"Well, I certainly will be looking forward to seeing how you all take on this gym." She said, and I gave her a smile. Making our way downstairs, we passed by Snow and Mitsuki, who were sitting in the lobby, sharing a plate of eggs and sausage. Beside them on the small couch, was a box. Looking at them in confusion, I stopped for a few seconds.

"Good morning, you two. What's with the box?" I asked, and Snow flinched slightly, her eyes meeting Mitsuki's.

"Oh, good morning, Void, Abby. It's just something Nurse Joy gave us, that's all." Mitsuki said, meeting my eyes. Raising an eyebrow, I opened my mouth to inquire more, but Abby placed her hands on my back and gave me a small push in the direction of the dining room.

"Come on, Void. Didn't you want to head out for Eterna City early? We can't do that if you just stand around bugging Snow and Mitsuki like this. Let's just get some breakfast, alright?" She suggested, giving the two on the couch a knowing look, causing Snow to blush even more, and me to become even more confused.

"Sure..." I said, shrugging and continuing on. The Absol gave a sigh of relief, before I stopped one last time. "Make sure you're both ready, we'll be heading out after breakfast." I said, and they nodded. With that, we once again began to make our way to the dining area. Turning to give Abby a look of curiosity, I frowned. "So, I take it you know what it was?" I asked, referring to what was in the box.

"I... Have a good idea of what it might be, yes." She said, and I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Seeing this, she shook her head. "Not that I'm going to tell you." She said. "It's nothing for you." She said, continuing when she saw my look of annoyance. "Anyways, let's eat. I don't know about you, but I could really use something to eat." She said, as we turned the corner, and walked into the dining room. Nodding in agreement, we both picked up a plate and loaded it up with bacon, eggs and sausage, while Christa picked out some pancakes. Carrying both Christa's and my plates, we all sat at an empty table. Setting down her plate to my left, I set mine down, beginning to eat. After a few minutes of us digging in to our respective food, Christa turned to me.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" She asked, and I set my fork down, turning towards her.

"Your illusion abilities... Can they disguise other people as well?" I asked, and she thought for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Yes, I don't see why they wouldn't if I focused." She said, before frowning. "Why?" She asked, and I sighed.

"Team Lotus are most likely staking out the Pokécenter, as this was the last place we were seen. They know what we look like, and as soon as they see us, they'll be following us again." I said, and she nodded, a frown on her face.

"And you want me to disguise us all so they won't recognise us..." She said, realization crossing her face.

"At least until we get to the woods between here and Eterna City. And not all of us. It would look suspicious if a group of seven people walked out at the same time." I said, and she sighed.

"Wasn't that what putting me in a pokéball was supposed to do? To make sure that even if they saw us, they wouldn't be able to do anything?" She asked, turning her blue eyes to meet mine. "If we did that just for me to continue to hide, what was the point?" She asked, and I sighed, looking down.

"You're right... I just thought that if we could throw them off of our trail even for a little bit, it would help all of us to relax, not having to worry about being followed." I said, and she continued to look at me, before frowning.

"...Fine. I guess I could see your point. What's the point of no longer having to hide if you can't enjoy it." She said, and I looked back at her for a few seconds, before she continued. "So, who am I going to be disguising?" She asked.

"Thank you Christa, and I'm sorry." I said, and she only nodded. "As for who to disguise, just me, Abby, and you." I said, and she sighed, before nodding once again.

"Alright, I could do that. But let's just focus on breakfast for now, alright?" She asked, and I agreed, once again beginning to eat. After finishing up and throwing the empty plates in the trash, we all began to head for the lobby, Mitsuki, Snow, and the others gathering around.

"Ok everybody, if you're all ready, we can get ready to leave, though there has been a bit of a change in plans that will require me to return you to your pokéballs. Is that ok?" I asked, gaining a nod. Mitsuki took a step forward, giving me a smile.

"You know we're all fine with it. If you need to send us to our pokéballs, feel free to. Though if you don't mind me asking, what is the plan?" She asked, and I explained what we would be doing.

"I'd be letting you all out when we reach the woods." I said, and she nodded in understanding.

"Well, ready when you are, I suppose." She said, and I nodded, getting the pokéballs and returning Mitsuki, Snow, Rose, and Kazumi. Placing the pokéballs on my belt, I turned to Christa.

"You ready?" I asked, and she sighed, before nodding.

"Yeah, but this is the last time I use my illusions like this. I'm tired of hiding." She said, before focusing on me. "Now hold still." She said, and I did exactly that. The next minute or two, everything was silent, until she left out a small breath. "There. Now it's your turn." She said, turning her attention to Abby.

"Wait..." I said, blinking in confusion. "What happened?" I asked, and she pointed to a nearby mirror.

"Go and take a look." She said simply, before focusing once again on Abby. Feeling curious, I slowly walked towards the mirror. Looking at my reflection, I couldn't help but to be shocked at what I saw. My messy blonde hair was now straighter, as well as a chocolate brown. My normally vibrant red eyes were now blue. Blinking in surprise, I turned to tell Christa how cool this was when I got a good look at Abby. No longer was a Lucario standing in front of Christa. Instead, in her place, was a girl looking to be about my age. Her long blue hair reaching to the middle of her back. Slowly opening her eyes, I could see that they were a deep emerald green. Taking a deep breath, Christa floated back a bit, taking a look at her. "That should do for you." She said, before sighing. "Now for me..." She said, closing her eyes and beginning to focus once again. While she did this, Abby began to make her way to me.

"So... How do I look?" She asked, and for a few seconds, I remained speechless.

"You look amazing!" I said, finally getting my voice back, while taking a step to the side to allow her to see her reflection. Blushing, she took a look, her eyes widening.

"W-woah... I look... Human!" She said, dragging her fingers through her hair in amazement.

"Well, technically, you _are_ human right now..." Christa said, walking up to us in her human disguise, this time with black hair and green eyes. Abby and I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, and she frowned.

"It's a bit hard to explain really. Basically, changing a human to look different is a lot simpler than making a pokemon look human. In fact, I had to make a few changes to make this work." She explained, and Abby blinked.

"Those changes. Is that what I felt while you were doing what it is that you were doing?" She asked, and Christa frowned again.

"You _shouldn't_ have felt the changes, though with you being attuned to Aura as you are, I guess it's not too much of a stretch." She said, and Abby nodded slightly.

"So, are the changes permanent?" She asked, and Christa quickly shook her head.

"Not at all. I just made some temporary changes to your DNA, just like I did to myself. I could easily turn you back within a minute or two." She said, before turning to me. "Anyways, are you ready to go? The sooner we head out, the sooner I can go back to being myself." She said, and I opened my mouth to speak, before being interrupted.

"Hey! What about me?! Don't I get a cool new look?" Hikage piped up, and Christa bent down, giving him a guilty smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry Hikage, but I don't think I have enough energy left to transform you... But if you want, I could carry you..." She said, and his mouth fell open comically, much to her confusion.

"I-I get to be carried by Lady Mew?!" He asked excitedly, and her look of confusion quickly turned to an uncomfortable one.

"Right..." She said, slowly picking him up in her arms. "Please don't think of me as 'Lady Mew'... Just think of me as Christa." She said, and he nodded happily, getting comfortable.

"Ok, Ms. Christa!" He said, and she smiled, before turning back to me.

"So, are you ready to go?" She asked once again, and I nodded, before holding a finger up signalling for her to wait just a second.

"Nurse Joy, we're about to head out, I just wanted to say thank you for everything." I said, calling into the open door behind the counter, and a few seconds later, Nurse Joy stepped out.

"Oh, don't worry, it was my pleasure, Void..." She said, before trailing off when she saw us. Stifling her shock for a few seconds, she stared at us, blinking in confusion. "Void? What's with the change in looks?" She asked, and I quickly explained our plan. Nodding every so often, she listened, leaning against the counter. "I see... Though wouldn't it be strange for people who never came in to suddenly walk out?" She asked, and I frowned slightly, giving a small nod.

"I guess so, though I was hoping it would buy us at least a little time." I said, and she nodded.

"Well, I guess it could work. You won't know unless you try." She said, before giving me a smile. "Anyways, I should let you get going. You all be safe out there; Don't do anything too dangerous." She said, and I rolled my eyes halfheartedly with a smile, before nodding.

"With the way things are now, no promises, though we'll certainly try." I said, giving her a wave, before leading the way outside. Taking a breath of fresh air, I let my eyes travel around our surroundings. With a smile on my face, I stretched, before sighing in content. "You know, today is a really beautiful day; A great day for traveling." I said, and Abby and Christa nodded in agreement.

"It really is. I'm glad to be traveling again. It's no fun being cooped up inside, especially when the weather is this nice." Abby said, before looking at me in curiosity. "Hey, do you know if there's anything to do in Eterna City?" She asked, and I looked thoughtful for a few seconds, before pulling out my pokédex and pulling up a guide.

"Let's see... Besides the Gym? According to this, there's a park area with a few nature trails, as well as a few shops we could stop by, maybe take a look around." I said, and her eyes lit up.

"Do you think we could? Take a look around Eterna City before the Gym battle, that is?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"I don't see why not; It could give us time to train and come up with a strategy. It may even give us time to relax. Arceus knows we could use that." I said, and Abby smiled and nodded, while Christa remained silent for a bit, before speaking up.

"Sorry... About everything." She said, and both Abby and I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked, and she sighed.

"I can't help but feel like all your problems are my fault. That you wouldn't be always watching your backs if I had just kept watch over you from a distance, instead of tangling myself in your adventure." She said, and Abby frowned.

"Even if you weren't here, we most likely would have come across Team Lotus eventually, and I'll tell you something; I'm glad you did decide to travel with us. You've been a big help, as well as a good friend!" She said, and Christa smiled slightly, looking away.

"She's right you know. You've been great company, and if I was given the choice of changing how things have turned out, I wouldn't. Like Abby said, you've been a great friend! So no moping, ok? You have no need to." I said, and she blushed. "Now come on, we're almost to the woods, and the sooner we get there, the sooner you don't have to be disguised." I said, and she smiled and nodded, as we started to come up on the guard post between Hearthome City and the woods.


End file.
